Bains became the second player this season to make their NHL debut with the Vancouver Canucks.
Bains became the second player this season to make their NHL debut with the Vancouver Canucks.
It was a special night on Tuesday as Arshdeep Bains made his NHL debut with the Vancouver Canucks against the Colorado Avalanche. The 23-year-old earned the opportunity after a solid start to the season with the Abbotsford Canucks that included him being named AHL All-Star Challenge MVP. Here is a look at his debut, which included some memorable moments and plays that showed he deserves a more extended look at the NHL level.
Bains spent the majority of the game on the Canucks third line with Teddy Blueger and Conor Garland. He finished with 13:21 of ice time, which shows that Rick Tocchet liked his game enough to continue to give opportunities, including throughout the third period. At first glance, his stat line may not look impressive as he finished with a plus/minus -2 and two penalty minutes, but overall, Bains showed promise throughout.
When diving into the counting stats, it is clear that Bains impacted this game. He led the team in hits with three and blocked a Cale Makar shot in the first. He also finished with two shots, which was tied for third on the team. He also set up teammates with perfect passes in front of the net multiple times during the game, showing his hockey sense and playmaking ability. Outside of scoring a goal, he made a strong impression and showed willingness to do whatever it takes to remain in the NHL.
Now, onto his analytics, which could have been better. While on the ice, the Canucks were outscored 2-0 and lost the high-danger chances battle 5-2. On the positive side, the scoring chances were balanced at seven each with him on the ice, and he finished with one individual high-danger chance created. He also faced off against Colorado's top line, holding them off the scoresheet in over five minutes of head-to-head action. Considering the circumstances, he and his linemates played well together and can hopefully continue to build some chemistry over the next few games.
The main takeaway from this game is that Bains can play in the NHL. It is not easy to make your NHL debut against the top team in the league, but he held his own and demonstrated why he can be a valuable piece to this lineup moving forward. Hopefully, he can build off this strong start and continue to show Vancouver's management group that he deserves a spot on the roster for the rest of the season.
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