BENNETT SHINES IN FLAMES DEBUT
TEAM’S HIGHEST-EVER DRAFT PICK HINTS AT BRIGHT FUTURE VS. CANUCKS
Closing in on 2,800 kilometres due east, Sam Bennett’s past was opening its regular-season account at Peterborough Memorial Arena.
Meanwhile, a quantum leap up in class if not quite a world away, his present began becoming reality, raising the curtain on his NHL and home career at the Scotiabank Saddledome in a preseason tilt. His future? That’s what the next while is going to determine.
“It’s his first game,” Calgary Flames’ coach Bob Hartley had cautioned in the morning, hours before the highest draft selection (4th overall) in franchise history drew in for his first-ever bigpants NHL exhibition game.
“I just want to see what he brings at the NHL level. We’re going to be playing a pretty good team back-to-back. He’s going to be put in a big role, get some big ice time. That’s the only way we can evaluate him.”
Only three days after Johnny Gaudreau made his ’Dome debut in a 1-0 split-squad victory over something sort of resembling the Edmonton Oilers, and mere hours after his Kingston Frontenac buddies had dusted the home standing Petes 5-3 in OHL play, Sam Bennett and the Flames were falling to something kind of resembling the Vancouver Canucks 3-1.
Not that the can’t-take-your-eyes-off-him 18-year-old wonder boy could be hung with one iota of culpable blame in the matter.
As first impressions go, impressive, Mr. Bennett. Mighty impressive.
Operating as the fulcrum between Michael Ferland and David Jones, Bennett twice tested Vancouver puck-blocker Eddie Lack through the first period and dinged a quick-release snapshot off the joint between a post and the crossbar. On the flip side, he also went a somewhat less conspicuous 1-for-7 in the faceoff circle.
Five minutes into Period 2, on a scamper into the offensive zone, he nimbly dragged the puck past 14-year NHL greybeard Kent Huskins before testing Lack and then flattening the goaltender.
In the third, he flips his hips, leaving poor Luca Sbisa on spindial to create space for himself before firing a shot into the midsection of backup goalie Joacim Eriksson.
That faceoff percentage needs a bump, true. But a game-high half a dozen shots on goal through 40 minutes?
The best Flame on the night. By some distance.
The try, the skill set, that lovely edge we’d heard so much about (echoing his Kingston GM and ex-Flame Doug Gilmour) were there for all to drink in.
“What’s great about those two guys,” said Hartley, “is that they’ll be two centremen with totally opposite styles. That’s great news for us and bad news for our opponents.
“We need to be fair to the young man.
“He’s a big part of maybe our present but certainly our future.
“Doing the right things for him is doing the right thing for the organization.”
Despite badly outshooting the ’Nucks, the locals nevertheless found themselves two goals in arrears, former Flame Chris Higgins and Nicklas Jensen beating starter Jonas Hiller, before last season’s Sam Bennett, Sean Monahan, counted on the power play at 17:07 of the middle frame to briefly whittle the deficit to a goal.
Needless to add, if Bennett can work out as well as Monahan ...
“What’s great about those two guys,” said Hartley, “is that they’ll be two centremen with totally opposite styles. That’s great news for us and bad news for our opponents.
“But we need to be fair to the young man. He’s a big part of maybe our present but certainly our future.
“Doing the right things for him is doing the right thing for the organization.”
If Thursday is any indication, he may — in the manner of Sean Monahan a year ago — leave the Flames no alternative in the matter.
“This is a game I’ve been waiting for a really long time,” said Bennett pre puck-drop. “I’ve got to watch a few games, see what it’s like in the ’Dome.
“I think you’ve just got to remain calm, remember all the things that got you this far. Just be confident, try to have fun.
“I found I was playing early (Wednesday) morning and the first thing I did was text my parents and all my friends — I’m playing, so you guys better watch.
“I’m sure I’m going to be pretty nervous come game time, but as soon I step on the ice all the nerves disappear and it’s just another hockey game.
“Obviously it was a good warmup, a good test, in Penticton. The pace was fast, not much time. I expect it to be faster and even less time tonight.
“Definitely I don’t want to try and do too much. I don’t want to grip my stick too tight.”
Bennett’s audition was set back, of course, by the groin strain he suffered during the Young Stars Classic out west.
“With his injury he missed time and we couldn’t give him earlier games,” said Hartley. “Right now we’re just going to try and fastforward his ice time, fast forward his progression. If everything goes good tonight he plays again (Friday in Vancouver).
“It’s all about making sure we help him understand the pro game.”
Kid’s shaping up as an awfully quick study.