Zack Bolduc made his NHL debut on Thursday in a 4-0 win against the New York Islanders on Thursday and even though he only played 9:57, the 2021 first-round pick didn't look out of place.
Bolduc comes into the NHL with the mantra of being a scorer, and in his second game, he was the lone bright spot (among skaters not a goalie) when he scored his first NHL goal in a 6-1 drubbing at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings.
Joel Hofer, who replaced starter Jordan Binnington after the first period, had just made a terrific save at the left post on Christian Fischer, and the Blues (30-25-2) were off to the races the other way, and Bolduc found himself alone in the slot after Brandon Saad dug the puck out of the corner following a soft chip by Nathan Walker and delivered the pass before Bolduc scored on a solid wrister past Alex Lyon at 12:28 of the first period.
Bolduc finished with 15:38 ice time; he was an even plus-minus, had five shot attempts (two on goal), one hit and one blocked shot and is worthy of player of the game honors.
It's two games, long way to go for the 17th overall pick in 2021. He's going to have ups and downs, just like any kid getting his feet wet in the league, but he'll always remember his first NHL goal ... and on his 21st birthday.
