VANCOUVER — Arshdeep Bains got a solid vote of confidence heading into his hometown Canucks on Saturday.

The left winger spoke with Daniel and Henrik Sedin, and the Canucks legends told him they had a feeling Bains was close to scoring his first NHL goal.

They were right.

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

Bains – originally 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 collected a loose puck in Penguins territory midway through the second period and distributed it to teammate Daniel Sprong, who rushed onto the ice and fired a shot into the pads of Penguins. ‘Alex Nedeljkovic. The Pittsburgh goalkeeper couldn’t grab the rebound, which was sent to Bains and he sent it into the gaping net.

Sprong’s piece was like “a gift,” Bains said.

“I can’t even really express it in words,” he said. “It 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 few moments to celebrate the moment with his teammates. The Canucks handed out hugs and high fives while the Penguins huddled on their bench. Sprong ran onto the ice to retrieve the puck – a souvenir Bains said he would give to his father.

A teammate offered constructive criticism of the striker.

“I wish he had a bigger smile on his goal. But you see the reaction of the guys on the bench – I think we were happier than him,” winger Kiefer Sherwood said with a smile.

“But he’s a guy who just put his nose down and continued to go to work. … So it feels really good for everyone to support him and watch him go about his business.”

After going undrafted, Bains signed with the Canucks as a free agent in March 2022 following a remarkable campaign in which he recorded 43 goals and 69 assists in 68 games for the League’s Red Deer Rebels Western Hockey.

He spent the 2022-23 campaign with the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League, then was called up to the NHL team for eight games last season.

It was during September training camp, however, that Bains really impressed. The six-foot, 184-pound forward was initially sent to Abbotsford after the club’s latest round of cuts, but Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet was quick to say Bains would soon be back at Vancouver.

“He’s got some speed, but he’s starting to find an identity where he can also check out,” Tocchet said of how Bains caught his eye. “He finds positions to be in defensively. He works on his game.”

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

Vancouver star forward Elias Pettersson said he always knew his younger teammate had what it took 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 then he’s used to working hard, playing the right way. And I think he’s going to continue to get better for us.”

MORE STEPS

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

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

The 34-year-old defender has 93 goals and 280 assists in 1,002 games, including an assist on Elias Petterson’s goal on Saturday.

DIFFICULT SWING

The loss to Vancouver capped a tough four-game trip to Western Canada for the Penguins.

Pittsburgh’s only point from that 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 need to have. We need perspective and we need to do a better job.”

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

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press