A dream goal for Justin Barron

“It was a surreal moment. I thought it was pretty cool to score my first goal. For me, it was the realization of a dream. I then heard the applause of the crowd. I will remember it all my life. »

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Justin Barron was still on cloud nine the day following his first NHL goal once morest the Ottawa Senators. Number 52 met the media between two treatment sessions with the team’s healers.

Absent from morning training, however, Barron did not accompany the team to New Jersey. Paul Byron also remained in Montreal due to injury.

Barron suffered an injury late in the third period following accidental contact with Mathieu Joseph, seconds before Austin Watson’s goal into an empty net.

In his fifth game in a Canadiens uniform, but his seventh in the NHL, Barron beat goaltender Anton Forsberg with a perfect wrist shot into the top of the net. If the shot was of great quality, the same can be said for the way he skated backwards near the blue line before getting into a good spot to hit the net.

“You always hope to score a nice goal for your first, you don’t really want to do it with a deflection, he said with a smile. I was quite happy with the way I achieved my goal. I was very excited following that. I practically had a blackout following that play. I also wasn’t sure if Jake Evans had touched the puck. »

Barron finished that game once morest the Senators with five shots. Once once more, the Colorado Avalanche’s 2020 first-round pick has shown he has offensive flair in addition to being a very fluid skater.

A progression

Martin St-Louis once once more spoke of a progression in Barron’s game.

“Game by game, it gets more comfortable,” he noted. He plays the match in front of him. He remains calm with the puck. I find it unfortunate to see that he got injured. But there is clearly an improvement in his game, we see a good progression. »

“I didn’t know much regarding Barron,” added Luke Richardson, the defenders’ coach. He can take good shots. I wouldn’t say he plays without fear, but he has good instincts. It’s hard to get that confidence so quickly in the NHL. »

With Barron’s injury, possibly to a knee or ankle, Jordan Harris will be given even more responsibility. It will be a third game with CH once morest the Devils.

“Harris caught my attention quickly with the way he skates, he doesn’t have to push,” Richardson said. It fits very well in the way that Marty (Martin St-Louis) wants to play. Jordan also had chances to score once morest the Senators. »

two good teachers

If he spends valuable time on the ice with the team’s young defensemen, Richardson has looked to Joel Edmundson and David Savard to guide the Barrons, Harris and Corey Schueneman.

“Eddy and Savy are important to our culture. They make young people feel like teammates, not rookies. I don’t want to give too much information to young people. Eddy and Savy help me. They have experience and they share it with our recruits. »

Price of the trip

Carey Price will not play once morest the Devils on Thursday night or once morest the Maple Leafs on Saturday in Toronto. Number 31, however, made the trip to New Jersey.

He once once more took part in the team’s full training. This was another step in the right direction. But true to form, St-Louis did not offer a specific date for a possible return to play.