Eetu Luostarinen is a name that Panthers fans are starting to become very familiar with.
Not only because it's incredibly fun to say, but also because of the young Finn's red-hot start.
Playing primarily as the team's fourth-line center, the 23-year-old currently ranks tied for third on the Cats with six goals, while also chipping in 17 hits, 13 blocked shots and six takeaways over 14 contests.
Q&A: Luostarinen Talks Lighting the Lamp, Living in South Florida & More
"He's a very reliable two-way center that's starting to find a little more offense and starting to be a little more comfortable," Panthers interim head coach Andrew Brunette said after Friday's practice at FLA Live Arena. "He's somebody that you can rely on to play against anybody. That's been a nice tool to have in our toolbox right now. I feel that he can play against anybody. We've relied on him lots for energy."
Originally taken by the Hurricanes in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft, Luostarinen eventually arrived to the Panthers in a multi-player trade on Feb. 24, 2020. Since then, he's suited up in 48 games over parts of two seasons in South Florida, producing nine goals and six assists in that stretch.
Finding the back of the net for the second time in his last three games, he teamed up with linemates Ryan Lomberg and Patric Hornqvist to light the lamp during a 4-1 victory over the Devils on Thursday.
Helping the Panthers race out to a 12-3-2 record, that goal for Luostarinen, who goes by "Luosty" around the locker room, was already his team-leading third game-winning score of the season.
"He's great," Lomberg said of Luostarinen. "He works hard. He gets himself in the right position to get good chances. Horny and I just need to keep getting the puck back and finding him where he can score."
Following this morning's practice, I had a chance to sit down with Luostarinen to talk about the keys to his outstanding start, his life both in Finland and South Florida, his very adorable dog and much more.
OLIVE: You've been piling up the goals early on this season. What's working for you out there?
LUOSTARINEN: I'm feeling good overall. We have good chemistry on our line. I'm just trying to do the right things, and I think I'm getting rewarded for the good things I'm doing. I just want to try and keep that going now.
OLIVE: Speaking of your line, how much are you enjoying playing with Ryan Lomberg and Patric Hornqvist?
LUOSTARINEN:Yeah, it's obviously good to play with them. We've had a lot of chances in games. We forecheck and do the hard work. They're great players.
OLIVE: Is it more fun to score when you get to celebrate with those two guys?
LUOSTARINEN:Yeah, they're both great. They bring a lot of energy to the ice and the bench.
OLIVE: Even though you're only a little over a month into your second full season in the NHL, what kind of strides do you think you've already made since you first entered the league back in 2019?
LUOSTARINEN: I think I'm more aware of everything that's going on when I'm on the ice. That's been a big thing. Even over just the last year, I think I've developed a lot.
OLIVE: You've talked before about the work you put in this past summer. How much do you think all of those extra hours in the gym and on the ice have helped you get off to this hot start you're having?
LUOSTARINEN:It was big. I tried to get a lot of strength in my legs and work on my overall speed in my skating, especially my first three steps. I think all of that worked out well.
OLIVE: Since you're still fairly new to the Panthers, I know that a lot of our fans still don't know a lot about you. With that in mind, let's take a moment to roll through some various questions that should help change that a little bit. First, what can you tell me about where you grew up back in Finland?
LUOSTARINEN: I grew up about 10 minutes away from Kuopio. It's a little city. It's a special place for me. In the summertime, it's so nice to go back there and see all my family and friends.
OLIVE: What do you like to do when you're back home?
LUOSTARINEN: It's mainly working out, going to the lake and spending time with friends and family.
OLIVE: Prior to heading to North America, you spent three seasons playing for Kuopio's Liiga team, KalPa. As sort of your final tune-up before heading overseas, how important were those seasons?
LUOSTARINEN:They were really important. I had excellent coaches there, so that was big for me. I got lots of experience there playing against men. That was huge before coming here.
OLIVE: When I was searching for some fun facts about Kuopio before this interview, one of the things that kept coming up was pictures of this traditional dish called Kalakukko, which is apparently made by baking fish inside a loaf of bread. If that's something you've eaten before, what's it like?
LUOSTARINEN: Yeah, it's a traditional food from that area in Finland. It's really delicious, but I don't eat it that much. I maybe eat it once a year.
OLIVE: But it's definitely something you probably can't find anywhere else, right?
LUOSTARINEN:Not really. It's pretty much only in places like Kuopio.
OLIVE: When you look back at your accomplishments in your career thus far, how big a moment was it for you to be a part of Finland's gold-medal team at the 2019 IIHF World Championship?
LUOSTARINEN:It's not the biggest one, but it's definitely a big one. It was nice. I had an injury, so I only got to play in four games. But it was still nice to win that gold medal.
OLIVE: Taking the topics back to the present, how are you settling into life in South Florida?
LUOSTARINEN:It's a nice area. There's a lot of good restaurants and a lot of things to do. I've been enjoying my time here. I've got a new apartment downtown, so that's great. I'm just exploring the beaches and Las Olas and places like that.
OLIVE: Speaking of restaurants, do you have a favorite food?
LUOSTARINEN: That's tough. If I had to say just one, I'd go with tortillas.
OLIVE: When you're relaxing at home, what are you currently watching on TV?
LUOSTARINEN:I'm actually watching Manifest. It's interesting. I really like it. I have one season left.
OLIVE: I also saw on Instagram that you have a dog. What can you tell me about her?
LUOSTARINEN:She's a little Sheltie named Rose. I've had her about two years now. She brings a lot of energy. I love to go out and do stuff with her. It's nice to come home and have her meeting me at the door after a game.
OLIVE: When you're not playing hockey or training, do you have any other hobbies?
LUOSTARINEN:In the summertime I play a lot of golf and padel. I know padel isn't that popular here yet, but I think it's coming here. Everything I do usually revolves around sports.
OLIVE: Outside of hockey, what sports do you like to watch the most?
LUOSTARINEN: I watch golf and also some esports. The esports is a little different, but it's nice. I watch Call of Duty and CS:GO streams. I watch them a little bit.
OLIVE: Moving back to the action at the rink, I've already asked a couple of your teammates about the 9-0-0 start at home this season, but in your opinion what's the source of that home-ice advantage?
LUOSTARINEN:When you're on home ice, you want to win every game. We love all the fans here. We just have to give the fans what they want. That's what we want to keep doing.
OLIVE: Looking ahead, what's the key for the Panthers to keep up this high level of play?
LUOSTARINEN:We've just got to keep it going. How we've played since we got home from the road trip, we have to keep playing like that. There's a lot of hockey left. It's day-to-day thing. Just keep practicing and working hard and having fun on the ice.
