Flames’ Bennett the boy becomes Sam the man
BLOSSOMING: The Canucks knew very little about the kid coming in, but they’re learning about him now
Sam Bennett is only four games into his NHL career, but he has already started to make a name for himself.
And the 18-year-old Calgary Flames rookie couldn’t have picked a better time. Or place.
In the absence of major scoring from the Flames’ top three — Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, and Jiri Hudler — after three games of this Western Conference firstround series against the Vancouver Canucks, Bennett is coming in handy.
“He’s a treat to play with,” Joe Colborne, Bennett’s current linemate, said. “He’s been awesome. I don’t want to go around saying too many crazy things, but I think the world of the kid. He’s going to be a player for a long time.
“His tenacity, his intensity, is amazing. He’s going to the net. Each game, he’s starting to grow and feel more confident. As a line, too, we’re starting to figure each other out a little more, become more and more effective.”
Which, after four games — three of which have been playoff games — has been evident.
Calgary’s fourth overall pick from last summer scored his first NHL goal with only 2:14 elapsed in Sunday’s third period when he jammed the puck past Eddie Lack.
No doubt, the tally was an ego-booster.
“It was nice for him to get that first goal,” said Flames winger David Jones.
“Like we expected, he’s real solid down by the goal-line, he’s great at cycling the puck and cutting back and protecting it. For him to get that first goal, I think he’s just going to keep getting better and it’ll help his confidence even more.”
Bennett also was a key factor on TJ Brodie’s go-ahead goal in the first period, helping to control the play as he lined up Vancouver’s Radim Vrbata for a hit.
Although no assist was credited to No. 63, it led to a free puck that eventually found its way onto Brodie’s stick and put Calgary up 2-1.
Bennett’s goal, 13:44 of ice time, three shots and two take-aways, and everything else that didn’t show up on the scoresheet made Sunday arguably his best performances as a Flame so far.
Entering the series, Bennett had the ‘X’ factor quality going for him.
The Canucks have virtually no game tape on the kid other than what they saw from the Young Stars rookie tournament in Penticton, Game 82 against the Winnipeg Jets, or any footage of Bennett’s recent spree with the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs. However, it doesn’t bother the 6-foot-1, 178-pound teenager that the Canucks are going to start to clue in and find ways to shut him down.
Bennett figures he has an advantage in this series because he hasn’t played as much hockey as everyone else has.
Shoulder surgery at the beginning of the season kept him on the shelf for four months and he only started playing OHL games at the end of February.
“I feel really fresh,” he said. “Game in and game out, I just have to keep playing my game. Since I’m fresh, I’m not going to be taking my foot off the gas.”
The Canucks did not take it easy on Bennett. In the second period he was creamed by Yannick Weber. Then again in the third by Dan Hamhuis, which resulted in an illegal check to the head penalty.
“It’s fast paced, hard-hitting. It’s NHL playoff hockey,” said Bennett. “It’s exactly what I was expecting.”