A Golden Bear In The Blue Paint

If you didn't recognize the goaltender in the San Jose Sharks' net when the second period started, it's likely that you haven't been watching Canada West hockey over the last couple of years. There have been a ton of solid goaltenders in Canada West men's hockey for a while with the likes of Jordon Cooke, Byron Spriggs, and Rylan Toth tending nets in the conference, but it's hard not to mention Zach Sawchenko among the best of the best when it comes to what he did with the Alberta Golden Bears. On Sunday, we got to witness the culmination of all the hard work that Sawchenko had put in over the last few years as he stepped onto NHL ice for the first time against Pittsburgh in relief of James Reimer!

Before we get too deep into this incredible moment for Sawchenko, let's go to the video as he was introduced by the ESPN broadcast crew!
As you heard at the end of the clip, Sawchenko relieved Reimer after the latter gave up six first-period goals against the Penguins, so there was a deep hole dug for Sawchenko when he finally arrived at the crease. The 6-1 deficit isn't usually something we see after one period, but that was the situation for Sawchenko.

The former Golden Bears netminder settled in quite nicely in the second period, stopping all of Pittsburgh shots in the frame as Brent Burns scored a goal to bring the score to a 6-2 margin after 40 minutes of play. While Sawchenko wasn't flashy, he was efficient and sound in his saves as he kept the Penguins from increasing their lead. Things were looking up.

Three more goals by the Sharks in the first 4:09 of the third period made it a 6-5 game, and there was a chance that Sawchenko might get a chance to have a storybook ending to his relief appearance! However, a power-play goal by Evan Rodrigues with 2:01 to play ended Sawchenko's run without a goal, and Rodrigues is now the answer to the question of who scored the first goal on Zach Sawchenko in the NHL! Sawchenko would head to the bench as San Jose opted for the extra attacker, but Bryan Rust woudl score an empty-netter to give the Penguins the 8-5 win over San Jose.

Here's the fun part, though, if you're a Zach Sawchenko fan. In his 38:32 of work in Sunday's game, Sawchenko stopped 20 of 21 shots for a .952 save percentage while the Sharks rallied to outscore the Penguins 4-2 while Sawchenko was in the blue paint. I don't know if Sawchenko earned himself a start after his performance yesterday, but the Sharks are in Detroit to battle the Red Wings on Tuesday. With Detroit sitting at 15-15-3, this is a game that San Jose needs to win, so why not ride the hot goalie, right?

Let's be honest that having Sawchenko at the University of Alberta for two seasons was pretty special. He compiled a 28-4-1 record with a 1.79 GAA and a .919 save percentage. He was one of, if not the best, big-game goalie in 2018-19 in helping the Golden Bears win the Canada West Championship. It looked as though they may win another U SPORTS National Championship, but they ran into their familiar foes in the UNB Varsity Reds who downed the Golden Bears by a 4-2 score to end that season. Regardless, Sawchenko was magnificent in the Golden Bears' run to the final in stonewalling Lethbridge and Sasaktchewan before the second-ranked team in the nation beat him.

Seeing Zach on the ice stopping pucks for the Sharks is a reminder that not all paths to the NHL are the same. Some guys are blue-chip, first-round picks. Others are signed as free agents and invited to camps. Zach Sawchenko, however, took an opportunity with the University of Alberta and turned it into something great through some hard work and determination. Like Derek Ryan before him, finding an opportunity sometimes means taking a different route.

Congratulations to Zach Sawchenko on his NHL debut! Here's hoping we see him in his first NHL soon as this writer thinks he's earned that honour!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!