The Blackhawks gave Alex DeBrincat a spot on the roster out of training camp because he can really shoot. He scored his first career NHL goal Tuesday against the Canadiens with a perfect snipe to beat Carey Price, arguably the best goalie in the league.
Here’s a quick look at the goal. Good luck doing anything about this one.
Let’s take a closer look shall we… pic.twitter.com/0b8tF6L1jg
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 11, 2017
This won’t be surprising to anyone who followed DeBrincat in the juniors. He recorded three straight 50-goal seasons with the OHL’s Erie Otters, including 65 as part of an MVP-winning campaign in 2016-17. He’s got a unique gift for putting the puck in the back of the net, and it seems like there’s a good chance that’ll translate to the NHL.
What makes DeBrincat so tough to stop is the way he can quickly uncork those shots with impressive accuracy. Usually the big shooters are correspondingly large guys who use their frames to fire off booming shots. DeBrincat, on the other hand, shows what you can do with a quick, compact shot in a smaller frame. He may not hit it as hard as some other guys, but his release point makes it just as difficult to track and stop.
DeBrincat now has one goal and one assist through three-plus games with the Blackhawks this season. He may not put up monster numbers yet — unless he’s on Patrick Kane’s line — but the future looks bright with plays like this one.