Sergachev gets jolt of reality as a pro

feelings toward his former team, which happens to possess the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference. Sergachev said he’s not trying to prove the Canadiens wrong for giving up on him. In fact, he believes the organization was right in moving him, even if there might be some doubters.

“They’ve got a great group of D,” Sergachev said of the Canadiens. “They’ve got (Shea) Weber back and Jeff Petry has stepped up and he’s playing well. Victor Mete is a high-end player. Their team was kind of struggling and they couldn’t find a way to win and they were looking for that guy, looking for someone (like Drouin) to give them life. It’s all business.

And then there’s Sergachev, who was second among rookie defencemen in scoring, though 24 of his 29 points came in the first three months of the season.

“I haven’t accomplished anything yet,” said Sergachev. “Everybody wants to win a Cup, so I want to win a Cup. That’s the biggest accomplishment.”

Sergachev isn’t likely to beat out Vancouver’s Brock Boeser or Mathew Barzal of the New York Islanders for the Calder Trophy. He might not even be a finalist. But considering that he has the same number of goals as Drouin with eight and one more point than the 22-yearold Montreal forward, he’s provided Habs fans with who is still learning how to control his emotions when things aren’t going his way.

Less than a month ago, the 19-year-old took a highsticking penalty in a close game against the Chicago Blackhawks. He believed it was a bad call. And he let the referee know it. Sergachev shouted and swore and after tossing a towel in the penalty box was given another two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Afterward, head coach Jon Cooper levied even more punishment by making Sergachev a healthy scratch for the following two games.

“He’s still learning,” said Cooper, adding that Sergachev is only a teenager. “Has he got himself in trouble emotionally sometimes, got caught up in the game? He has. But I can say that about a lot of guys on our team. He just did it at a tough moment in the game. This season is all about a learning curve.”

What did Sergachev learn while watching the games from up in the press box? Even the best players make mistakes. Not that you’d know it.

“Sometimes they don’t play well, but they don’t get pissed,” he said. “Maybe they do, but they don’t show that emotion. When you show everybody that you’re pissed, everybody is going to know it and the guys on the other team are going to make you pay and you’re going to take a penalty like I did in Chicago. You can’t get frustrated in this league.”

Says the guy whose team has won the most games in the league. nationalpost.com