Oilers 2 – Canadian 6 | The big Sunday of Alex Belzile

There are many people who will think of the Super Bowl when thinking back to February 12, 2023, but Alex Belzile will probably think of something else.

He will think about this goal. Its goal. The first of his life in the National Hockey League.

There are clichés that are sometimes worth using, and here’s one: Alex Belzile has come a long way. In this case, “far” can probably be calculated in kilometers.

Because the Quebec striker arrived full-time in the American League at the late age of 26, after wearing jerseys as prestigious as those of the Gwinnett Gladiators and the Idaho Steelheads. He was a veteran of the Rocket in Laval before passing through the Bell Center from time to time, and then, on this beautiful Sunday, in his seventh game of the season, he offered himself the gift of a first goal in the NHL. At 31 years old.

This puts him third among the oldest players to score their first goal in the history of this club, after a certain Herb Gardiner, who had succeeded in 1926 at 35 years old, as well as another player, Johnny Matz, who was 33 when he scored his first goal in 1924.

So no, Alex Belzile may not forget that.

“I didn’t see the puck go into the goal, but I saw the guys coming towards me, so I thought it was me who had scored!” declared the veteran forward at the end of the game. It’s an incredible feeling…”

We understand that it’s all about hockey here, and that in the grand scheme of things, there are more important matters, but stories of perseverance like this are always worth highlighting. .

Even in the late afternoon, Belzile was struggling to come down to earth in the Bell Center locker room.

“There’s a lot of work behind that,” he added. Lots of times when I convinced myself it was coming…I was trying to control myself after that, there were still 50 minutes left in the game! Since I was recalled this season, I have a chance to score in every game. I hit three posts. It’s a bit stupid, but I thought that at some point, she was going to end up coming home!

“But I remained optimistic, I’m a very optimistic guy by nature. I told myself that it’s going to come back, that it’s coming… I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t an eternal optimist. Scoring a goal with the Canadian, for me, is a dream of a little guy, I don’t know how many times I dreamed of that on the outdoor rink in Saint-Éloi… So it’s a very good moment for me. »

In the current context, beautiful stories like that of Alex Belzile will be what the happiness of this end of the 2022-2023 season will be made of.

At the end of the day, Martin St-Louis spoke again about the importance of building this culture which can lead to moments of grace for a team, and in this regard, a victory like this, by a score of 6-2. , facing the arguably superior Edmonton Oilers, at the very least allows fans to see some light on the horizon.

But on this festive Sunday, all the lights were pointed in the direction of Alex Belzile.

“It’s not something that happens often,” explained Martin St-Louis. There are many people who never reach their full potential because they let go a little too quickly, in anything. Alex counted tonight, but also, he has an impact on our team. I’m proud of him…”

In details

Xhekaj falls in battle (literally)

You would have thought that with the comfortable 3-0 lead his team enjoyed halfway through the second period, Arber Xhekaj was not under any obligation to throw away the gloves. However, he accepted the invitation from Vincent Desharnais of the Oilers, and it didn’t go the way he wanted. Immediately after the fight, the defender retired to the locker room and he didn’t play again. As he arrived at the bench, he was seen addressing the members of the medical staff, pointing to his right shoulder. According to the official version of the club, it is the “upper body” which is affected. The organization specifies that Xhekaj “will meet with the doctors over the next few days to determine the nature of the injury and the duration of [son] absence if applicable. Food for thoughts.

McDavid doesn’t like the Bell Center

Does Connor McDavid like coming to Montreal? You would have to ask him. But does he like playing at the Bell Centre? We can doubt it. Since the start of his career, number 97 has collected 9 points in 12 games at the Habs’ home. It’s not catastrophic in itself, but a quick search reveals that the old Molson Center is the most hostile arena in the NHL for McDavid. In no other arena does he produce at or below 0.75 points per game. Sunday, he finished the game with a minus 3, after often seeming frustrated with the turn of events. In fact, another check confirms that McDavid is frankly less efficient when his club is trailing than when he is ahead. At five against five, since the start of the season, his total individual production is 2.61 points per 60 minutes. When the Oilers are ahead, that value swells to 3.6 points. When Oilers are late: 1.63 points. You will have read it here.

Things are rolling for Desharnais

His name was mentioned above in the context of a fight, but Vincent Desharnais does not just fight for the Oilers, on the contrary. In fact, it was even his first fight in the NHL. The 26-year-old Quebecer, who was only on Sunday at his 12^e career game, made a very good impression in the Alberta capital. Since his recall in January, he has taken part in all his team’s games and even brought him good luck. Before the loss in Montreal, the Oilers had compiled a 9-0-2 record with their new number 73 in the roster. In his first game in the metropolis, he kept his trademark: simple and without lace, but effective game. His coach Jay Woodcroft also named him one of the rare positive elements of his camp in this meeting and praised his calm on his first visit to the “cathedral” that the Bell Center represents for Quebec hockey players. The principal concerned, he was especially sorry for the setback of his team. Moreover, he pointed out that once the game has started, “it becomes an arena like the others”.

Simon-Olivier Lorange, The Press

Up: Evgenii Dadonov

A game of two assists for this veteran, who had one of his best games this season.

Down: Jesse Ylönen

While others like Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Alex Belzile take advantage of their opportunities, he takes the opportunity to disappear.

The number of the match: 9

Number of teams for which Alex Belzile has played in the professional ranks