It was then that 20-year-old Barron, playing in his seventh game in the NHL, his fifth with the Montreal Canadiens and his first at the Bell Center, lets a shot that kisses the top of the net and equalizes this game to 2-2 just 40 seconds after Tim Stützle made it 2-1 Senators. It is a big game from a perspective with possibilities for big leagues, the kind of game you dream of playing as a child and imagining your first goal in the top league in the world and arousing the fans. and screaming at full volume. Baron grew up in Halifax, loyal to the Toronto Maple Leafs, but had a dream come true with the Canadiens on Tuesday when his fans erupted in applause as his landmark was announced. The cameras approached him and the child sat there in the middle of the bench and soaked everything. In an ideal world, this great moment would continue with a win for Barron’s team, with him available to answer questions about this indelible experience instead of lying on the coach’s table after an awkward collision with Mathieu Joseph on empty- The clear goal that made this 6-3 victory for Ottawa left him worse for wear. But hey, this is life in the NHL. Baron is living it now and suddenly it seems he is much more accustomed to it than when he first came to Montreal as the main acquisition in a trade that sent Arthur Leconen to the Colorado Avalanche on March 21st. The former 25th overall pick in the 2020 Draft landed on his shoulders with high expectations and appeared a bit nervous in his first games. But there were no nerve signs tonight. “I think JB is just a hockey player,” said Canadiens coach Martin St. “I do not think he is upset with the NHL. I think he comes to the ice and realizes that the lines will be in the same places and the boards and the size of the ice rink and the nets will be in the same place. It just plays the game and you can see the balance it has and I am very happy with the small sample I have seen “. This almost 18 minute period was by far Barron’s best as a Canadian. You could see it moving in that direction in the first period. And the goal that came in the eighth minute of the second was more wind in its sails. Barron completed the game having completed most of his passes, leading the Canadiens with five shots on goal, having won the second star of the night and impressing his teammates. “I did not know much about him,” said David Savard. “He moves well and makes good decisions – defensively and offensively. He does not really put himself in trouble, and that’s good to see. He does not think much, he trusts his talent “. This is becoming a small trend with this young and inexperienced Canadian defense force. It was definitely evident in a 5-4 extra time win over Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday and it happened again on Tuesday — even in that defeat. Jordan Harris impressed in that weekend game – in his NHL debut – and in that one against the Senators. Like 22-year-old Alexander Romanov, who took the next step in his development and relied on playing more minutes per game than all but 31 players in the league from March 15. And then there’s 26-year-old Corey Schueneman, the non-draft blower who made a big mistake and allowed Austin Watson to tie the game 1-1 in the sixth minute of the first half, but played the rest of the game as if it never happened. . However, it was Barron’s mobility, balance and aggressive acumen that shone through. And his goal was the highlight of the game – even with a collision 11 minutes later between Nick Suzuki and Stützle that led to a Suzuki knee penalty, the Canadians were outraged at the moment and left Brendan Gallagher (who jumped Stützle in the third period) still boils after the game. But he calmed down and had to say this about his relatively new teammate. “It’s still too early, but you can see the talent he has,” Gallagher began. “He is scoring a great goal tonight. It’s a great shot, smart shot, it uses the screen, it puts it in a perfect spot. No one expects this whole game. Makes many good readings on ice. He definitely has the potential, he definitely has the talent and we hope we can help him. “It shows signs that he is a very promising player for us in the future.” Actually.
