The scene was a hit on the information superhighway this week: Brad Marchand – who else? – hooks up with Connor Bedard and escorts him towards the Bruins bench, in front of poor linesman CJ Murray, who tries to untie the two competitors.
The scene entertained many, including Johnathan Kovacevic. “It’s a Marchand classic! It’s his style, replies the Canadian defender, still amused, after Saturday’s optional training at the Bell Centre. It’s a great way to welcome him to the league. »
Kovacevic will also have his chance to compete against the young NHL sensation on Saturday night when the Chicago Blackhawks visit. A nice coincidence of the calendar to launch the CH season at home.
The sequence with Marchand, however, reminds us that some will want to welcome Bedard to the National League in the coming months. Does this mean they will want to “test” the young prodigy?
“Pretty much everyone knows him. It’s not like the guys are going to go easy on him, notes forward Tanner Pearson. Look at the Penguins shorthanded on Tuesday, they faced him like he was [Alexander] Ovechkin, to take away the shot option from the edge of the boards. Bedard has quite the shot.
“But as soon as he’s on the ice, all eyes are on him, so maybe you notice him more when something like what Marchand did happens. »
There’s nothing innovative about the idea of “testing” something new. We often talk about Sidney Crosby’s 102 points in his first campaign, less than his 110 penalty minutes, his career high in a season. Derian Hatcher, to name just one, had a baton on Wednesday against the 87, during a Penguins visit to Philadelphia in mid-November 2005. But the cream always rises to the surface, and Crosby had gave the Penguins victory in overtime.
Sadly, there is no YouTube clip of the first duel between Crosby and the Tampa Bay Lightning in October 2005, but the Floridians had obviously figured out which button to press, because the young Penguins star had received two penalties on the same sequence: one for slashing, the other for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Our attempt to go to the sources this Saturday morning proved in vain. “I don’t really remember the game, but we knew he was a player who would play for a long time,” said Martin St-Louis, a member of the Lightning at the time, now assigned to other duties in another organization. We knew he would be good. And you see it with Connor Bedard, already comfortable in his first matches, he has assets. »
Eighteen years later, on the other hand, hockey has changed and Bedard can have good hope of leaving the Bell Center without being forced to donate blood. “If you dwell on it too much, you take yourself away from your game. We’re going to be hard on him, but not get distracted. We will monitor him closely, but without taking a penalty for a stupid gesture,” summarized Pearson.
“I’m focused on winning,” Kovacevic added. They have more than Connor Bedard. I watched their game against Pittsburgh, they have young defensemen who skate well. They have the veteran trio, [Corey] Perry, [Nick] Foligno and [Jason] Dickinson. As a competitor, I want to win, but I want to neutralize it like any other player. »
The arrival of Bedard almost makes us forget that this will be the inaugural evening of the season at the Bell Centre.
Rafael Harvey-Pinard will not forget it. For the first time in his career, he will be part of the players’ presentation, a spectacle always awaited.
“It’s always special to get on the ice here, especially on Saturday night,” noted the St-Louis head coach. This is the first match at home and it’s a Saturday. The players are proud to wear the jersey. Harvey-Pinard, he’s a Quebecer, it’s special for him. Even for me, when I board the Canadiens bench, it’s special. On Saturday, it’s even more so. »
Besides the presence of Samuel Montembeault in front of the net, St-Louis will not make any changes to its lineup. Bedard’s streak of matches against Nova Scotians will therefore end at two. He faced Crosby on Tuesday, Marchand on Wednesday, but Justin Barron will be left out on Saturday.
