EDMONTON, AB - Mikko Koskinen might be the only goalie in the league without a knob on his stick, with nothing more than a few wraps of blue tape at the end of it.
He doesn't have the time nor the patience.
"That's because I'm too lazy to do it," the Finnish netminder joked following Tuesday's practice at Rogers Place. "I don't do pokechecks too often, so I haven't lost my stick for a while."
What the 6-foot-7 netminder lacks in attention towards taping his twig, he makes up for with an unwavering attention to his craft that's flourished early this season with a 10-2-2 record, a 2.52 goals-against average, and .921 save percentage.
"He works hard," Connor McDavid said of Koskinen's dedication. "He's always the first guy on the ice; he's always doing his stuff before practice as well, working on whatever he's working on. He's a quiet guy, but the guys really like him."
BLOG: Koskinen putting the pieces together
The netminder's adjustments from last season have culminated in a 10-2-2 record, 2.52 goals-against average, and .921 save percentage in 14 starts so far in '19-20