Patrick Kane had surely imagined his first match in the colors of the New York Rangers differently.
The spectacular American winger was cleared from the scoresheet and posted a -2 differential in the Blueshirts’ 5-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
“My first game as a member of the Rangers was quite a pleasant experience,” Kane, who was playing his first game since Feb. 22, told ESPN.
“Obviously, I would have liked to play better and for us to win the match. I hope all this will come. I hadn’t played for a while, so maybe I was a little rusty.”
Rangers’ other big recent acquisition, Vladimir Tarasenko, was less quiet in the loss. At the end of the second period, the Russian gave his team the lead by pulling off a superb Peter Forsberg-style feint on the breakaway.
The hosts, however, struggled to curb the unsuspected star of the meeting: Quebecer Derick Brassard. Playing his 1000th game in the National Hockey League, he collected a brace to propel the “Sens” to victory.
Less than two minutes after seeing the Gatineau resident hit the target with a surprising backhand shot, in the third period, Franco-Ontarian Claude Giroux jumped on a return shot to score the winning goal.
Shane Pinto and Tim Stützle were the other scorers for the Sens, who are in the thick of playoff contention in the Eastern Conference.
Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba replied for the Rangers.
Meanwhile, like Kane, defender Jakob Chychrun also wore his new uniform for the first time on Thursday.
Above all, he gave the Senators a good scare by staying on the ice for long seconds after being hit by Filip Chytil in the third period, but was finally able to conclude the game. He did not collect a point in 19 min 16 s. of use.
Jeff Petry shines
At Amalie Arena, former Habs defenseman Jeff Petry was fired up in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 5-4 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The American fullback twice beat Andrei Vasilevskiy with his wrist shot in the second period, in just 25 seconds. He first threaded the needle from the face-off circle to the right of the Russian keeper, then added some by surprising him from a tight angle at the other end of Lightning territory.
Petry has five goals and 24 points in 45 games this year.
The “Bolts” came from behind three times in the game, notably thanks to Victor Hedman at the end of the third period. Jason Zucker, however, settled the debate in overtime by unleashing a powerful one-timer throw. It was his second win of the game.
Drew O’Connor was the other scorer for the Penguins, authors of a fourth consecutive victory.
The Lightning, for their part, have bowed out in their last three games. Ross Colton, Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos blackened the scoresheet in today’s duel.
For his 1000th game, Derick Brassard receives a touching gift
Fans had many reasons to be interested in Thursday night’s game between the Ottawa Senators and the New York Rangers, and one of them was Derick Brassard, who reached the 1,000 lifetime game mark and who also got a lot of attention from his teammates.
All wearing shirts commemorating this important plateau, they notably offered bottles of wine and a Rolex watch to Brassard, whose accomplishment goes a little under the radar due to the acquisition of defender Jakob Chychrun and the presence in the opposing camp of striker Patrick Kane, landed in New York a few days ago.
Brassard’s perfect day continued into today’s game. He scored his 10th and 11th goals of the season, benefiting from the staging of other French speakers on the team, Mathieu Joseph and Claude Giroux.
A bet that pays off
Moved by all these gifts, the native of Gatineau thanked each of his partners in arms in front of their locker inside the locker room. Moreover, the spirit of camaraderie among the Senators proves that he does not regret having tried his luck in Ottawa at the last training camp with a professional tryout in his pocket. His efforts paid off, as the 35-year-old veteran signed a contract on the eve of the campaign.
“My commitment to the sport begins in the off season, [en travaillant] at the gym and taking care of my body. I had operations in the previous years of my career and at this stage I have to work harder every day. However, when you reach a similar number, you think of all the people who have helped you, including the healers and specialists who have seen me for my many problems. I am grateful,” he said in an interview with the “Sens” Twitter account.
Great traveller
However, other factors explain the forward’s longevity, having made his National League debut with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2007-08 and played for 10 organizations.
“I believe that over the years, my play in the playoffs has allowed me to extend my journey. Being a center player, I was able to adjust by playing on the wing. […] It helped me to be able to meet everywhere and sign contracts, he said. It’s been tough in recent years, as I’ve represented many teams, but I’ve remained strong enough to continue. I love hockey and hanging out with the guys.”
“At first I was just happy to play one, trying to establish myself as a regular,” he added. Once you get there, you have to find a way to stay in the league, to stay healthy. But when you’re younger, you don’t think about that; 1000 matches is too far from your mind. Let’s say that time has passed quickly.
At home
Brassard played in the federal capital in 2016 when the Ottawa club obtained him from the Rangers in the transaction involving Mika Zibanejad. He remained there until February 23, 2018, when the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired him in a three-team trade. In his eyes, it was important to return to Ottawa, especially since his relatives were trying to convince him to continue his stay in the NHL to reach the number 1,000.
“It’s my hometown team, I used to go to local Senators games when I was a kid,” he said. I had only played there for a little over a year and really enjoyed it.”
“I’m at my best when I play emotionally and here it’s easy to do. We had long runs in the playoffs and the atmosphere was great, continued Brassard. But you have to bet on good teams and good players who will make you better. Victory and success help a lot.”
Finally, the former Rangers noted the coincidence of this landmark meeting which will take place at Madison Square Garden. He played for the Blueshirts from 2013 to 2016, taking part in the 2014 final.
“I really like this place. They were really good to me, I had five good years here and we almost won the Stanley Cup. There were excellent training sessions and it will remain a special place for me,” he said.