MONTREAL — Ivan Demidov scored in the first period of his ballyhooed NHL debut, but the Chicago Blackhawks spoiled the party, defeating the playoff-hopeful Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on Monday night.
Demidov, a 19-year-old Russian forward who joined the team last week, had a goal and an assist, and Juraj Slafkovsky and Alex Newhook also scored for the Canadiens. But they couldn’t prevent the home team from losing its third straight with a chance to clinch a playoff spot.
The Canadiens have 89 points — four more than the Columbus Blue Jackets with one game left Wednesday at home against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Blue Jackets have two games left.
What lies ahead for the team, though, took a back seat to Demidov and the deafening ovation he received after he set up Newhook’s opening goal. The youngster sat on Montreal’s bench, mouthed a couple of words and cracked a big smile while public address announcer Michel Lacroix announced the goal amid the Bell Centre bedlam.
“He has a unique blend of skill, hockey sense, deception,” general manager Kent Hughes said Monday morning, highlighting Demidov’s ability to move laterally on the ice. “Let’s see how it is. He’s going to adjust to a different game of hockey here.”
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In making his debut, Demidov became the third teenager in Canadiens franchise history to score a goal in his NHL opener, joining Mark Hunter (1981) and Bernie Geoffrion (1950).
“It’s a great time to be a Habs fan,” Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson said. “But for him I think it’s important to know that he doesn’t need to come in and be the savior.”
Demidov was the No. 5 pick in last year’s NHL draft. He led his Russian club, SKA Saint Petersburg, in scoring with 49 points (19 goals, 30 assists) in 65 games this season, setting a Kontinental Hockey League record for under-20 players despite having inconsistent ice time.
“In the locker room, I felt good,” Demidov said after the loss. “But when I got out to do my rookie lap, I guess I was nervous, because the crowd was so amazing.”
He should get used to crowds soon. Last Thursday night, when he touched down on Canadian soil at Toronto Pearson Airport, he was greeted by a throng of Canadiens fans waiting for him.
“It obviously shows how excited our fans are,” Matheson said. “Social media kind of causes it to be way [bigger] than it could have ever been when I was growing up.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
