The twenty people massed in an anonymous corner of the arena did not care that the Canadian had just been beaten by the 5-0 score by the Ottawa Senators.
The loud applause they reserved for their favorite player concluded the “strange 24 hours” that Owen Beck had just experienced. The smiles were frank. The hugs, long and felt. And it was completely deserved.
PHOTO SIMON-OLIVIER LORANGE, THE PRESS
Owen Beck was warmly welcomed by family and friends after the meeting.
Eighteen-year-old Beck found himself in a situation that almost never happens. That of a player who is urgently recalled from the junior ranks to join the NHL without real notice or preparation. Let’s insist on the specificity of the moment: a first match “upstairs”, in the overwhelming majority of cases, comes either at the end of a long training camp, or after a stint in the American League.
Beck, he was doing his little business in Peterborough, where he was also acclimatizing to a new team, since he was traded to the Petes of the place there are barely three weeks. A strange conjuncture of the stars caused its unexpected recall. Let’s review the circumstances that have accumulated, as explained by the Canadian:
- Friday’s late recall made it virtually impossible to get a Laval Rocket player stuck in Cleveland.
- The CH wanted a central safety cushion. Damaged to varying degrees, Christian Dvorak, Nick Suzuki and Kirby Dach have missed one or more practices over the past few days. Beck is one of the OJL’s best center in the face-off circle.
- A bit older and more experienced, Joshua Roy seemed a more natural choice. However, the Sherbrooke Phoenix played three games from Friday to Sunday. Under current rules, a recalled player cannot miss more than one junior game.
- The Peterborough Petes were off Friday and Saturday. And getting to Ottawa was easy by car.
The most superstitious will say that it was “due”. The test, however, was a daunting one. Beck had certainly experienced a strong training camp, which had earned him the signing of his first professional contract, but said camp ended almost four months ago.
Martin St-Louis however affirmed, at the end of the evening, how much he was “proud” of the young man. “He played well, he looked comfortable on the ice, detailed the head coach. He’s a hockey player. He has a bright future ahead of him. »
We do not pour out every day on the roadmap of St-Louis and on its status as a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. But we suspect that this is the kind of compliment that should resonate in an athlete whose career is just beginning.
Comfortable
Very calm, Beck spoke of “strange 24 hours” after the meeting. In the morning, he had told how he announced the news to his parents1. His father, one suspects, did not balk at the idea of cancelling the planned dinner with his son, since he instead attended his first skating in the NHL.
“It was an incredible experience, continued the center player. It was not the result we wanted, but I know that other matches will come and that we will win them. »
Used sparingly – he played a little less than 10 minutes – Beck did not seem to be dropped. St-Louis had placed him in the center of Christian Dvorak and Jesse Ylönen, two responsible players in defense. Their trio, admittedly, didn’t bring a ton of chances, but Beck did have some nice flashes. A rookie’s generosity was recognized when he attempted an (intercepted) 2-on-1 pass instead of shooting. And he blocked a Nikita Zaitsev shot from high in the defensive zone midway through the third period.
This dedication did not escape his teammates.
“He’s a guy with character, who will never let go, summed up David Savard. He is smart and very good in both directions of the rink. It’s part of his game to play well defensively, and he showed it tonight. »
Savard, who has seen others, also believes that it “bodes well for his future, for his career”.
His near future, however, will pass through Peterborough. Not surprisingly, the Habs confirmed at the end of the evening that they had sold the young man to the Petes, who are already preparing for the playoffs.
The season of the Canadian is not one of celebrations. Good stories are therefore important.
Here’s one that ended almost as quickly as it started. But when you think about it, it was probably more of a chapter. A first for Owen Beck. But certainly not the last.
Rising
Evgenii Dadonov
Taking advantage of Kirby Dach continuing to gain ease in the middle, Dadonov had a strong game, especially getting involved near the net. A little more finish would have earned him two goals.
Falling
Arber Xhekaj
The puck he deflected into his own net was the icing on a sad cake. Promoted to the left of David Savard, he struggled in defensive coverage, especially against the trio of Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat.
The number of the game
14 min 48 sec
This is the time that elapsed in the third period before the Canadian made his first shot on the net. And this, despite a deficit of three goals to fill.
They said
I really liked our whole game, except in the third period when we had trouble hitting the net. We had to go through the penalty, then we got a numerical advantage, but we weren’t able to get into their zone. We lacked execution. But the intentions were good.
Martin St Louis
They were leading by three goals, so they weren’t taking any more risks. […] We had time in their zone, but they blocked shots and we missed the goal. It feels a little bad not having any shots in the third period.
Martin St Louis
It’s disappointing, but we find them on Tuesday [à Montréal]. We will look forward.
David Savard
[Avec Christian Dvorak], we were trying to alternate face-offs on both sides. He helped me [sur cet aspect] and with the game system. He made sure I felt comfortable.
Owen Beck
He was maybe a little embarrassed, which is normal, but I wouldn’t say intimidated. He arrives in a new locker room, in the middle of the season… But he has settled in well, he has spoken to everyone. And he did it well on the ice.
Rafael Harvey-Pinard
In details
Softer for plumbers
We will not begin to scrutinize the work of the fourth line every evening. However, after the dream match they had played against the Detroit Red Wings, Alex Belzile, Michael Pezzetta and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard had a much more subdued shift. Of the three, only Belzile got a shot on goal. Pezzetta has admittedly hit seven times, but he has, on this account, rather betrayed the fact that he hasn’t touched the puck often. Advanced stats site Natural Stat Trick estimated that, when together on the ice five-on-five, they generated no quality scoring chances. And it was this line that fell victim to the Senators’ fifth goal, scored late in the third period. Better luck next time !
Forsberg the torturer
Heading into Saturday night’s game, Anton Forsberg had a career record of 45-56-11. The 30-year-old goaltender does good service for the Senators, but we suspect that we will never witness, with a lump in his throat, the retirement of his 31 jersey in the heights of the Canadian Tire Center. In fact, maybe we would live this surreal moment if the Swede only faced the Canadian until the end of his career. Since ending up in Ottawa on waivers in March 2021, Forsberg has won every start against the Flannelette. After Saturday’s shutout, he is now 5-0-0 with a 2.21 goals-against average and .937 save percentage against his favorite opponent. Knowing that Cam Talbot is still injured, we can bet a two paper dollars that he will be back in net for the Sens on Tuesday in Montreal.
Greig takes his chance
As if the Senators still needed talented young forwards… Ridly Greig, a 20-year-old center who is taking his first steps in the NHL these days. The Sens’ 2020 first-round pick, Greig was having a strong season in the American League, with 23 points in 28 games, which warranted his recall. In his third game, Saturday, he added an assist, his second already. And he did it with panache, serving a masterful pass to Giroux, precisely, on the power play. The veteran only had to push the puck into an abandoned net. The absence of Josh Norris for the remainder of the season opens the door to Greig’s long-term move to Ottawa. Along with Norris, Tim Stützle and Shane Pinto, he could soon complete the best center line in the NHL.