Thursday was a night to remember for Brandon Pirri, Josh Leivo and Michael Bournival, as each scored his first-ever NHL goal.
Bournival, Montreal’s 21-year-old rookie, got things started by tallying the second goal for the Habs against Columbus:
The goal came in Bournival’s fourth game in the league. The former QMJHL Shawinigan standout, a third-round pick in 2010, had spent last season with Montreal’s AHL affiliate in Hamilton.
Next up? Leivo, who found himself in the midst of controversy earlier this evening after colliding with Leafs goalie James Reimer, forcing Reimer from the contest.
With his goalie out, the 20-year-old Leivo made amends with a nice solo effort on Carolina’s Cam Ward:
Leivo, who has been up and down between the Leafs and AHL Marlies this season, was in the lineup because of a back injury to James van Riemsdyk.
Finally, there’s Pirri.
Last year’s scoring leader with AHL Rockford -- he had 75 points in 76 games -- Pirri was expected to make the ‘Hawks out of training camp, only to spend most of the exhibition season injured (which resulted in a trip back to Rockford to begin the year).
He was called up over the weekend though and, in a Central Division rivalry game against St. Louis, picked a perfect time for his first career marker:
Pirri, 22, had played in eight NHL games prior to tonight but actually made his NHL debut in 2010-11, appearing in one regular-season game for the ‘Hawks that year.
UPDATE 8:47 p.m. ET
Literally seconds after we published this, Columbus’ Boone Jenner scored his first-ever NHL goal against Montreal, cutting the Habs’ lead to 3-1. Jenner, 20, is in his fifth NHL contest:
UPDATE 9:11 p.m. ET
OK, this is getting ridiculous. A fifth player has scored his first NHL goal tonight, as Carolina’s Ryan Murphy scored his club’s opening tally of the night against Toronto. Murphy, 20, scored on the PP in his 11th career NHL game.
UPDATE 9:18 p.m. ET
COME ON. Vancouver’s Ryan Stanton scored his first career tally as well, the 3-0 goal in the Canucks-Sabres game. This is ridiculous.