mound.This is not the first tiime he has missed playoff action.ddddddddddddIn 2012, when the Nationals won their first division title, they played the postseason without Strasburg, whom the

HELSINKI, Finland -- Finnish goalie Tuukka Rask attempted to make a glove save, but the puck whistled by him into the top corner and rippled the net.The shooter stood in the high slot and showed no reaction to the goal as he waited for another pass from a teammate during practice. The laser-like shot came off the stick of Finnish prospect Patrik Laine, who was the No. 2 overall pick by the Winnipeg Jets in last Junes NHL Entry Draft.Hes a great shooter, said Rask, who has played eight seasons with the Boston Bruins. A big body and a really, really good shooter.There will be a lot of focus on Laine as the 18-year-old forward displays his talents and his 6-foot-4, 206-pound frame for Team Finland at the upcoming World Cup of Hockey, which begins Sept. 17 in Toronto.Hes a natural goal scorer, so if he gets a shot hes pretty much going to score, said Rask. Hes a great threat on the power play. Hes going to score goals. If he doesnt then hell probably get down on himself and might have some issues, but hes going to have an immediate impact for sure.Auston Matthews, the 2016 No. 1 overall pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs, wont be given a major role with Team North America, at least to start the tournament, but thats not the case with Laine. He will be playing on the top line with?Aleksander Barkov?and Jussi Jokinen. Laine will also play on Finlands top power-play unit.With my strengths, you can get more out of me in one or the two top lines, he said. If youre on the third or fourth line, your job is going to be a lot harder with my strengths, so its good that the coaches are counting on me and they know what I can do. Its a huge honor, and I just want to play and have fun on the ice.Competing at the international level is nothing new for Laine (who played for Finland at the 2016 World Junior Championship and the 2016 World Championship) but facing the best in the world on this big of a stage will be a little different.Its a new level for me, he said. Its always nice to be able to play against those top guys in the world. Im excited to play and well see what happens.I just want to be me on the ice and show everybody what I can do, and maybe cant do. I just want to be brave on the ice and show my skills and help my team.Not only is Laine a remarkably talented athlete, his confidence and poise make him a dangerous force on the ice. Nothing seems to bother him. He enjoys the spotlight and wants it shining on him when hes playing. Coaches normally dont like to talk about players on other teams, but everyone is excited to see how Laine will transition to the pro game.Hes got a tremendous skill set, said Sweden coach Rikard Gronborg, whose team will face Laine and Finland in a World Cup exhibition game at noon ET Thursday. The guy can put the puck in the net. He can challenge a player one-on-one. Hes someone we need to be aware of. He can challenge, and he has the shot for sure.Laine is already being compared to former Jets forward -- and fellow Finland native --?Teemu Selanne, who was selected in the first round (No. 10 overall) by the Jets in 1988. Laine does not shy away from those comparisons. Once the NHL season begins and he embarks on his rookie campaign, many believe he has the talent to quickly become his own type of player.A pretty big impact, Gronborg said. Everyone expects him to be a top player on [Winnipeg] and with his age, and his poise and his confidence in himself hell be pretty interesting to see. I expect him to be a top-tier player in the National Hockey League for sure.Finnish team captain -- and Minnesota Wild veteran forward --?Mikko Koivu first saw Laine play last year during the World Championships. During training camp for the World Cup, Koivu has already seen a difference in the young prospect from a physical and strength standpoint.He gained a lot of strength during the offseason and thats usually good for younger players to get better, get stronger. You can see that on the ice, Koivu said. Obviously its different in practice from what its going to be in a game but he looks pretty good so far.Laine is entering a whole new world of talented hockey players and it begins when he steps onto the ice at Hartwall Arena on Thursday night to face Sweden in a World Cup of Hockey preseason game. Star goalie Henrik Lundqvist is not starting that game for Sweden, but it doesnt matter to Laine. I dont care who is in the net, he said. I want to help my team -- and hopefully I can score in my first game. John Brodie Jersey . The veteran safety was a starter for the Bengals from 2008-2012. He totaled 41 tackles and three interceptions while starting all but four of the 13 games he played last season. Gino Cappelletti Jersey . Emery skated the length of the ice and fought an unwilling Holtby during the third period of the Flyers 7-0 loss Friday night in Philadelphia. He was given 29 penalty minutes, including a game misconduct. But Emery did not face even a disciplinary hearing with NHL senior vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan because rules 46. http://www.custompatriotsjersey.com/custom-randy-moss-jersey-large-2-1481f.html . "Hes going to have hip surgery on Jan. 7, and hell be expected to rehabilitate for four to six months beyond that," Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said Friday in an interview. Ronnie Lott Jersey . Catch all the action on TSN2 at 11pm et/8pm pt. The nine-time Big 12 champion Jayhawks are positioning themselves for another title, as they have run out to a flawless 6-0 mark in conference play thus far. Steve Nelson Jersey . Roman Josi had a goal and an assist to lead the Predators to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday night. The Washington Nationals will have to begin their playoff quest without Stephen Strasburg, as manager Dusty Baker said the right-hander will miss the teams NLDS series against the Los Angeles Dodgers?and perhaps the teams entire postseason run.Well, you wont see [Strasburg] in the first series, and I dont even know if youll see him, you know, maybe in the second series, Baker said on McNabb & Custer on ESPN Radio. You might see him in the World Series.Nats general manager Mike Rizzo said last week that Strasburg was unlikely to be back on the mound for the beginning of the playoffs.Strasburg has been on the disabled list since Sept. 7 because of a strained flexor mass in his right arm, and though he has played catch, he does not appear close to taking the mound.This is not the first tiime he has missed playoff action.ddddddddddddIn 2012, when the Nationals won their first division title, they played the postseason without Strasburg, whom the team shut down in early September due to concerns about his health in the wake of his 2010 Tommy John surgery.The top overall pick in 2009, Strasburg participated in Washingtons second postseason appearance in 2014. He took the loss in Game 1 of the NLDS against the San Francisco Giants.This season, Strasburg was 15-4 with a 3.60 ERA. He was named an All-Star for the second time, following a first half in which he went 12-0 with a 2.62 ERA.Information from ESPNs Eddie Matz contributed to this report. ' ' '