Montreal remains a ‘special’ place for Ryan Poehling five years after his storybook debut

MONTREAL — It’s been almost five years since Ryan Poehling made his NHL debut.

And what a debut it was. But ...

“It was a blessing and a curse, I think?” Poehling said with a chuckle on Thursday.

The blessing? Six days after signing his entry-level contract with the Montreal Canadiens following the conclusion of his collegiate season at St. Cloud State, the 20-year-old Poehling donned le bleu, blanc, et rouge.

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He then went on to not only score a hat trick in his first NHL game on April 6, 2019 — with one goal in each period, including the game-tying marker with under three minutes remaining in regulation — but also the game-winner in the shootout against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

And it was the last goal that legendary Canadian broadcaster Bob Cole would announce.

“It was, obviously, something special, and having my family here was great,” continued Poehling, who scored on all three of his shots that night. “So something that I’ll never forget. And obviously, Montreal means a lot to me for giving me the opportunity to do that.”

Poehling’s first NHL goal actually took a little bit of time to become official, as it was reviewed for goalie interference. But that didn’t stop Deslauriers from jumping over Toronto Maple Leafs netminder Frederik Andersen to fish out the puck.

Flyers teammate Nic Deslauriers played with Poehling in that game and notched assists on his first two goals.

“It was an unbelievable game. I think everything that he was touching was just going in the back of the net,” Deslauriers said. “[Heck] of a start, I will say that. But it’s fun to see a few years later what he became.”

Today, Poehling, 25, a center, is a key part of the Flyers. But the curse part he alluded to is how high the expectations became for the 2017 first-rounder. Poehling split the next two seasons between the Canadiens and Laval of the American Hockey League before playing the 2022-23 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“When we signed him, we knew we were at least, worst-case scenario, we were going to get a solid fourth-line centerman with a chance and an upside of playing more eventually,” said general manager Danny Brière, who brought in Poehling last summer.

“The age, 24, coming in, we felt was part of our timeline, and what we’re trying to do as well if he got better — and that’s exactly what happened. He just keeps getting better,” Brière said.

Entering the Flyers’ matchup with the Canadiens, the club still had nine games left in the season and Poehling has already set career highs across the board; he has 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) in 68 games, including three shorthanded goals.

Elevated to a middle-six role, the Minnesota native has become a key penalty killer for the Flyers and has recently been added to the second power-play unit — scoring a goal Tuesday night against the New York Rangers.

“I think that’s the biggest thing, you always have to believe in yourself,” Poehling said. “So that’s what I’ve done my whole career, and obviously, there’s been ups and downs like any other profession. And for me to just kind of work through that and trust myself and believe in myself, it’s the biggest thing. So, I think just continuing on that path, it’s only the beginning for me, and I just want to keep growing my game.”

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Poehling will have a chance to grow his game in Philadelphia. After bouncing around the league, he signed a two-year extension in January. As he said then, “It’s finally nice to find a home.”

The center found a home thanks to not only his play but by impressing coach John Tortorella, who loves Poehling’s speed, skating ability, puck possession, and the fact that he signed a one-year, show-me deal last summer.

“He started the year, and played, and he’s just worked himself up the lineup,” Tortorella said Tuesday. “All through the merit of how he’s played. He deserves the ice time he’s getting. He bet on himself, signing a one-year deal. Tremendous signing by Danny, [and] signing him already to keep him in the organization. So he’s reaping some of the rewards as far as the work he’s put into it. He’s been a very important guy for us.”

Defensemen Nick Seeler and Jamie Drysdale skated again on Thursday.

Seeler has been out since March 4 with a lower-body injury and appeared to have extra padding on his left ankle during the team’s morning skate in New York. Drysdale has been out since Feb. 25 with an upper-body injury.

Rasmus Ristolainen (upper body) is not with the team in Montreal but has resumed skating, too. He was spotted doing drills with Drysdale before the team’s morning skate on March 19 in Voorhees.

“As far as I know, Seeler is getting closer,” Brière said. “We don’t have an exact date, but maybe a small chance this weekend, maybe after the weekend. He’s getting close. So it’s really encouraging in his case.

“Drysdale is getting better and better. I don’t think he’s as close as Seeler is, but he’s moving in the right direction.

“And then Risto, I would say is probably a little longer ways away. In his case, we’re still not sure if he’s going to be able to come back, but the other two have taken a step forward.”

Sam Ersson will start in net against the Canadiens. ... Denis Gurianov, Deslauriers, and Marc Staal stayed on late, suggesting that they will once again be healthy scratches.