We think we should change the subject. That almost everything has been said about him, at least for the moment. That we should avoid overbidding on an already overexposed player.
But when Rafaël Harvey-Pinard scores three goals in an 8-2 victory for the Habs against the poor Columbus Blue Jackets, it would be a little awkward to pour out on David Savard’s blocked shots – six more, Saturday night, for those who keep the account.
The young man was probably not exaggerating after the meeting, evoking the “chills” he felt when the crowd roared at the announcement of his third goal of the match. He repeats it: what he has been experiencing for several weeks is like a dream. “Once again, I have a hard time realizing it. »
Yet it is very real. With its 10e11e and 12e goals of the season, Harvey-Pinard climbed to sixth place in this chapter with the Canadiens this season, despite the fact that he played only 29 games. The feat is obvious.
Another thing that the Saguenean often repeats is how much he tries to deal with what happens to him “day to day”.
We don’t have to remind him that he spent the first half of the season in the American League. That he had to wait his third year of draft eligibility before being selected by an NHL team. And that this one did it only in the seventh round.
The NHL has had its share of shooting stars. These players who were the flavor of the day, of the week or of the month, even of the season, and who got lost in the meanders of the collective imagination.
However, when it comes to Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, we allow ourselves to believe that his current successes are not only circumstantial.
good signs
Looking at his stats raises a big red flag. After the duel against the Blue Jackets, his shooting percentage is now 25.5%. It is a complete disproportion. In the NHL, since the start of the 2022-2023 season, there is about one goal scored on 10 shots – which includes those scored in an empty net.
A rate above 20% is unsustainable. In career, Alexander Ovechkin has a rate of 13%. It gives you an idea.
A recent example of the volatility of this statistic? Rem Pitlick’s 23.1%, as recently as last season, which earned him a tally of 15 goals. Where was Pitlick on Saturday night? Left out by one of the worst teams in the league, decimated by injuries moreover.
When we take a closer look, some indicators are clearly in favor of Harvey-Pinard. Last season, when Pitlick was on the ice, his team was scoring goals but generating very few offenses, judging by scoring chances obtained and goals expected. This season, when Harvey-Pinard is on the ice, the goals are there, but so are the chances. The numbers confirm what the eye test says.
And he doesn’t just enjoy favorable combinations with talented teammates, like Nick Suzuki, for example. Still five against five, he is, with Brendan Gallagher, the one who gets the most individual scoring chances per 60 minutes played, according to the specialized site Natural Stat Trick.
Gallagher, moreover, is full of praise for his young colleague. “He comes to the arena with the right attitude,” he said. He understands how lucky he is, and he deserves everything that happens to him. He has more and more responsibilities. It will pay off, that’s for sure. »
Details
Several times over the past few weeks, head coach Martin St-Louis has spoken about the importance of “details” in Harvey-Pinard’s game.
On Saturday, he had to twist his arm a bit to detail these details, but he still complied with the exercise.
His work ethic makes him first in class. His “level of competition” too.
He is very committed on both sides of the ice, it’s rare that he doesn’t do his job defensively and offensively. He is very committed and reads the game well. He knows where the puck is, his teammates and his opponents too.
Martin St Louis
Nick Suzuki continued the list: “His stick details. His defensive positioning. He blocks shots. All the things coaches love, he does. »
A sign of his coach’s esteem for him: Harvey-Pinard has started 18 of the last 22 games on Suzuki’s left. It’s a detail that is anything but insignificant, considering how much the squad has changed in the meantime.
“He’s super smart, very good at supporting the game,” said the captain. A line needs that, especially when the puck is on the boards. You need options and it’s in the right place. »
The principal concerned, he stays the course: one day at a time, one match at a time. It’s not always easy, he admits, especially with the growing attention on him. Just a few days ago he was the main guest at the Week of the 4 Julies. His name is everywhere. He keeps a cool head by staying as far away from social media as possible, he says.
It is very wise on his part, because it is true that nothing is won for him yet. And no one will predict with conviction that he will become a 30-goal scorer in the NHL.
However, when the word “culture” is spoken daily in the entourage of this club, it looks strangely like a player who embodies this ideal.
“Our training camp has already begun,” said Michael Matheson on Saturday evening, referring to next fall. Rafaël Harvey-Pinard seems to have understood this.
Rising
PHOTO ERIC BOLTE, USA TODAY SPORTS
Nick Suzuki
He posted his first 4-point performance in the NHL and tied his career-high 61 points in a season. However, he especially displayed the aplomb and the confidence that we saw of him at the start of the season.
Falling
PHOTO ERIC BOLTE, USA TODAY SPORTS
Denis Gurianov
A ghost. He and Kirby Dach, Jonathan Drouin pulled off the feat, if you can call it that, of posting a -1 differential in an 8-2 win.
The number of the game
PHOTO ERIC BOLTE, USA TODAY SPORTS
Jesse Ylönen (56) after his first-half goal
4
For obvious reasons, absolutely no one will talk about him, but Jesse Ylönen scored his fourth goal in five games and added an assist. His trio also played a strong game.
They said
I think we put on a good show. Our fans deserve that. I’ve been here 15 months [13 mois], I always felt them behind us. We would like to be in a better position to give them hockey in the spring, but that support is tremendous.
Martin St Louis
We always go up against the good teams. When we face other teams at the bottom of the rankings like us, sometimes both teams play badly. We just wanted to work hard, keep playing well and we were good at not forcing the game.
Nick Suzuki
It’s important not to force the game. Whether the opening is on the first shift, the last or in the middle of the match, it’s important to wait. It happened quickly tonight, but when I want to push too much, it goes less well.
Michael Matheson
The guys deserved it. We don’t have an easy schedule, but the guys are playing good hockey. Tonight, it wanted to go.
Brendan Gallagher
Interview by Simon-Olivier Lorange and Guillaume Lefrançois
In details
Gallagher as in his heyday
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Brendan Gallagher play with such confidence. The tough right winger was rewarded for his efforts with a goal and an assist. On his goal, he was the one who first orchestrated the entry into the zone, before going to position himself in front of the net, where the five benevolent Blue Jackets players were in the front row to admire his goal. And his assist, he got it in the most “gallagheresque” way possible: a straight line entry, a throw-in to Jesse Ylönen, after which he went directly in front of the goalkeeper to harm his work. In general, his work in puck recovery has also been noticed. In what was only his third game after a long absence, he showed encouraging signs for his team. “My second game was better than my first, and my third was better than my second. I’m getting more and more comfortable and building on that,” Gallagher summed up.
The benefits of not fighting
When the score is 7-2 and a strongman gets hit hard by a tough opponent, the ingredients are in place for a fight to break out. That’s what could have happened in the third period, when Blue Jackets forward Sean Kuraly tackled Michael Pezzetta near the boards in a race for the puck. Rather than focusing on his rival, Pezzetta followed the game and ensured that the CH attacked in excess, 3 against 2. His services were not ultimately required, since Alex Belzile ended up scoring when his pass to Chris Tierney was redirected by Andrew Peeke into his own net. Still, it was a great lesson in the importance of accepting a check and just keeping playing.
Suffering
The next video session of the Blue Jackets promises to be sensational. Without taking anything away from the Habs, it must be recognized that the rink often looked like a highway, Mike Matheson having driven extensively in the left lane. One might add that the concept of defensive cover was abstract. When Gallagher took his shot to score, we noted in the frame of the camera two players from the Canadian against… five players from the Blue Jackets! Several goals from the CH also looked like excess numbers, but in fact, the two teams were tied numerically. The Jackets are suffering on the blue line with Zach Werenski, Jake Bean and Erik Gudbranson on the sidelines, even bigger absences now that Vladislav Gavrikov is traded. They have now allowed at least four goals in each of their last 11 games, for a total of 60 goals and a 5.45 average during that streak. We guess that there are some who are looking forward to mid-April.
Guillaume Lefrancois