Desjardins’ NHL Debut A Huge Success

When the Tampa Bay Lightning recalled Cedrick Desjardins on December 20, their goal was to provide him with an opportunity to absorb the team’s day-to-day routine. It was also a perfect chance for him to work with Lightning goalie coach Frantz Jean during the AHL’s holiday break. But during Cedrick’s first day of practice, Mike Smith suffered a knee injury and was sidelined indefinitely. That allowed Desjardins to back up Dan Ellis for a few games until the stars aligned and the Montreal Canadiens strolled into town.

With a perfect script set up for Desjardins to take on his former franchise, Guy Boucher, who coached Desjardins last year with the Hamilton Bulldogs, pegged his backup goalie with the start. It was terrific news for the 25-year-old that had flown under the radar since he finished his junior career in the QMJHL. If anyone understood the importance of patience and perseverance, it was the undrafted and sometimes under-appreciated native of Edmundston, New Brunswick.

Just some of Desjardins’ career highlights include being named to the Memorial Cup Tournament All-Star Team in 2006 as a member of the Rimouski Oceanic. He also won the Hap Emms Memorial Trophy that year as the tournament’s Top Goaltender. Signed as a free agent by Hamilton (AHL) on July 26, 2006, Cedrick was named to the ECHL All-Rookie-Team in 2007 as a member of the Cincinnati Cyclones. On July 3, 2008, he was signed as a free agent by the Montreal Canadiens.

Despite playing his heart out for Hamilton last season, the big chance with the big club never came. He went 29-9-4 with a 2.00 goals-against average and .919 save percentage in the regular season and was considered one of the best goalies in the AHL. With the Canadiens trading Jaroslav Halak to the St. Louis Blues and then re-signing Carey Price, the organization brought in Alex Auld as the backup and elected to trade Desjardins to Tampa Bay for Karri Ramo.

In 18 games with Norfolk this season, Desjardins has a 12-5-1 record with a 2.63 goals-against average and .900 save percentage. Those aren’t flashy stats for a very capable and steady goaltender, but his teammates and coaches will tell you he’s been very reliable in the first half of the season. At the time of his recall, he was third in the AHL with 12 wins.

Despite an unlucky bounce that beat him just :58 seconds into the game, Desjardins stayed poised and stopped 27 total shots to win the game, 4-1. With the win, Desjardins became the first goalie in Lightning history to record a win in his NHL debut. His play was so strong, especially late in the third period, that Boucher plans to give him a second consecutive start on Saturday against the New York Rangers.

As you can see in the highlights above, the first official shot Desjardins faced could barely be considered a shot on goal. Just 58: seconds into the game, Max Pacioretti cruised in off the left boards and threw a pass into the crease area. The puck ricocheted in off Brett Clark’s skate as he slid into the net with Brian Gionta, but Desjardins had no chance to make a save as he stretched out his left leg.

His nerves would be tested a few minutes later at the 16:25 mark when Matthias Ohlund took a hooking penalty and gave Montreal an early power play chance. A shot from the point by newcomer James Wisneiwski at 15:32 would clang off the right post and then bounce back out in front, but no second chance came.

At the 14:40 mark, Desjardins made one of his most timely saves in the game when he dragged his left pad along the ice on a redirection by Tomas Pleckanec. The shot was along the ice and against the grain, but Desjardins had a great presence of mind to feel the puck under his left leg, drag the skate as he slid to his right and then calmly sit on the puck until the whistle blew. The save kept Montreal from taking a 2-0 lead just five minutes into the game and injected his teammates with confidence and momentum.

Aside from a few more routine stops in the first period, Desjardins moved well and displayed a lot of energy despite giving up a goal on his very first shot faced. He would finish with seven saves on eight shots in the first period and 12 saves on 13 shots through two periods. Tampa Bay dominated the middle frame with three power play chances and a goal from Martin St. Louis and Pavel Kubina to give them the 2-1 lead after two periods.

The most timely save Desjardins made in the second period came on a shorthanded rush by Pleckanec just two minutes in. Pleckanec let go a tricky wrist shot low to the glove side, but Desjardins stretched out and made the save. It was a great display of his active hands and flexibility.

In the third frame, Desjardins was tested numerous times for a five-minute stretch during two Montreal power play chances at 9:53 and 12:38 marks. During the flurry of chances, Desjardins displayed a terrific ability to track pucks with excellent vision and an ability to move into shots, control his rebounds and challenge shooters with effective footwork. He was also able to maintain the same level of energy that he had in the first period and maintained the same aggressive disposition.

He would finish with 15 saves in the third period, six saves on six power-play shots against, four saves on four short-handed shots against and 27 saves on 28 total shots against. He was awarded the second star of the game and clinched a piece of franchise history by being the first Lightning goalie to win his NHL debut.

—–[ SCOUTING NOTES ]—–

In what was a very impressive debut and victory against the Canadiens, Desjardins displayed a number of positive technical elements that leads me to believe he has a bright future in the NHL. His energetic attitude and presence in the crease makes him a true catalyst for the Lightning. He’s an energetic read-and-react goalie that relies on his quickness and agility to make tough saves look easy. He’s extremely flexible and has very active hands and quick feet. This quality foot speed allows him to scramble very effectively and push effectively, both low to high and laterally as well.

Although he’s considered somewhat unconventional compared to traditional QMJHL products, his ability to square up to pucks and maintain a straight upper body allows him to appear much bigger than his 6-foot-0, 192-pound frame. He has a flared out butterfly stance and holds his hands in a very effective manner – up high and in front of his body. He also holds them away from his sides, which adds to his “wide” appearance. He takes up a lot of the net and does a great job of challenging shooters when necessary and pushing into pucks, both on his skates and on his knees.

One of Desjardins’ true strengths is his ability to maintain a high level of energy and focus over the course of a game. Although he was rarely tested in the second period against Montreal, he was extremely focused throughout and his vision never faded. He tracks the puck very well and that ability to read plays and follow the puck with his eyes allows him to be in position on most opportunities.

Another one of Desjardins’ biggest strengths is his work ethic. During Montreal’s power play chances, Desjardins exerted a high level of energy in order to look around and through screens and traffic in front of him. He followed pucks that came off his pads very well and did an excellent job of locating loose pucks, rotating his body and then activating a butterfly slide or recovery. His rebound control was also very efficient and his active hands allowed him to pounce on a number of loose pucks in and around his crease.

Although very few weaknesses were revealed in his NHL debut, Desjardins will need to work on limiting and economizing his footwork and movements as time goes on. This will go a long way in making him even more durable at the highest possible level and help with areas such as rebound control and absorbing shots on deflected, re-directed and tipped shots.

Overall, what makes Desjardins such a quality prospect right now is a combination of active hands, an energetic demeanor, a positive, hard-working attitude and his ability to read and react. His work ethic rubs off on his teammates and that filters through the bench and creates a positive atmosphere both on and off the ice. He is a motivating goalie to play for and his upbeat nature is really fun to watch.

I made sure to broach some of the different fantasy topics regarding Desjardins in my School of Block forums and his short and long-term future in a Lightning uniform. Be sure to check it out and follow me on Twitter @TheGoalieGuild to get more scouting notes if he does indeed play against the Rangers on Saturday. Regardless of what happens, I consider Desjardins an NHL-ready goaltender with excellent upside as a future starter.