First NHL goal ‘meant to be’ for Vancouver Canucks’ own winger Arshdeep Bains – Hockey

VANCOUVER – Arshdeep Bains got a big vote of confidence before suiting up for his hometown Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.

The left winger spoke with Daniel and Henrik Sedin, and the Canucks legends told him they felt Bains was about to score his first NHL goal.

They were right.

“I had heard that from a few guys,” Bains said after burying the game-winning goal in Vancouver’s 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. “They’re all very happy for me. And it almost felt like it was meant to be.”

Bains – who is from the Vancouver suburb of Surrey – said his mother and father were in the stands to witness his milestone night.

The 23-year-old forward picked up a loose puck in Penguins territory midway through the second period and advanced to linemate Daniel Sprong, who charged across the ice and fired a shot into Alex Nedeljkovic’s pads. Pittsburgh’s goalie couldn’t grab the rebound, which fell to Bains and he tipped it into the gaping net.

Sprong’s play felt like “a gift,” Bains said.

“I can’t even put it into words,” he said. “It just happened so quickly and all the guys were so happy. It’s just a special moment.”

Pittsburgh called a 30-second timeout after Bains scored, giving him a moment to celebrate the moment with his teammates. The Canucks handed out hugs and high fives while the Penguins huddled on their couch. Sprong ran across the ice to collect the puck – a memento Bains said he would give to his father.

One teammate had constructive criticism of the goalscorer.

“I wish he had a bigger smile when he scored. But you see the reaction of the boys on the bench: I think we were happier than him,” winger Kiefer Sherwood said with a grin.

“But he’s a guy who just put his nose down and continues to work. … So it feels really good for everyone to kind of support him and watch him do his thing.”

After going undrafted, Bains signed with the Canucks as a free agent in March 2022 after a standout campaign in which he scored 43 goals and 69 assists in 68 games for the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League.

He spent the 2022-2023 season with the American Hockey League’s Abbotsford Canucks before being called up to the NHL squad for eight games last season.

However, it was in September training camp where Bains really made an impact. The 6-foot-1, 184-pound forward was initially sent to Abbotsford following the club’s latest round of budget cuts, but Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet quickly said Bains would be back in Vancouver soon.

“He’s got some speed, but he’s starting to find some kind of identity where he can control as well,” Tocchet said of how Bains has caught his attention. “He’s finding the positions where he needs to be defensively. He’s working on his game.”

Others in the Canucks’ locker room have also noticed Bains’ growth.

Vancouver’s star forward Elias Pettersson said he has always known his young teammate has what it takes to be a good player.

“He makes plays. He has to touch to make a sauce pass and make the right decisions,” Pettersson said. “But he has a habit of working hard and playing the right way. And I think he will only get better for us.”

MORE MILESTONES

Before Saturday’s game, the Canucks recognized defenseman Tyler Myers, who played his 1,000th NHL regular-season game while Vancouver was on a road trip last week.

Myers’ wife, Michela, and his three children joined him for an on-ice ceremony that included a video montage of his career highlights and a number of gifts, including silver mini sticks for his children.

The 34-year-old blue liner has 93 goals and 280 assists in 1,002 games, including a helper on Elias Petterson’s goal Saturday.

STRONG SWING

The loss to Vancouver capped a difficult four-game Western Canadian road trip for the Penguins.

Pittsburgh’s only point from the swing came in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.

Head coach Mike Sullivan said Saturday that the team has what it takes to get out of the rut.

“I think a lot of it starts with a mindset,” he said. “It’s a certain attitude, it’s a certain resilience that we have to have. We need some pushback and we need to do a better job.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2024.