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TORONTO – Max Pacioretty has never been bothered by life in the spotlight.
As captain of the Montreal Canadiens, he was confronted daily with certain questions, especially when things were not going well, was another story.
Exchanged at Vegas Golden Knights before the start of training camp, Pacioretty's routine no longer includes a multitude of cameras, microphones and notebooks waiting for him in his locker.
There may be a couple after a match or practice, or maybe none.
"It is obvious that the media are very different," said Pacioretty at the end of Monday's ice session in Toronto. "Expectations are present in all organizations.
"But in a Canadian market, everyone knows that you have to answer questions about these expectations every day."
Wanting to become an unrestricted free agent next summer and his future in Montreal being very uncertain, Pacioretty has signed with Vegas a four – year contract extension worth $ 28 million US. here 2022-2023 the same day it was acquired for winger Tomas Tatar, before prospect Nick Suzuki and a second-round pick.
"It's a little more realistic," said Pacioretty of his relationship with journalists in the Nevada desert. "You do not stay in front of you every day and do not answer questions about your condition."
Elected captain of the Canadiens by his teammates in 2015, Pacioretty is no longer part of the Knights' training since he's injured his upper body since October 26th. The 29-year-old winger took part in his first contact training could face the Maple Leafs on Tuesday.
Vegas, who made their way to the Stanley Cup final last season in a breathtaking expansion campaign, then traveled to the nation's capital on Thursday to meet the Ottawa Senators before Pacioretty's imminent return. in Montreal, Saturday.
Pacioretty scored 226 goals and added 222 badists in 626 games with 19 points (10 goals, 9 badists) in 38 playoff games in her 10 seasons with the Canadiens.
Asked about the number of ticket requests he received for the weekend, Pacioretty said his phone had been turned off. "So I do not have to use my credit card to the fullest."
"People have mentioned that it was probably good to get it out early," he said about a visit to the Bell Center. "It will be fun to go back. I hope that I play.
Pacioretty scored two goals in nine games and two play stints before being sidelined for a team that also lost Paul Stastny – who signed a 19-year contract for $ 19.5 million with the free agent on July 8 – as a result of a lower body injury. could keep the center until December.
Knights are still without defender Nate Schmidt, who continues to serve a 20-game suspension for violating the NHL's drug policy.
"We dug a little hole to start the year," Pacioretty said. "If you do not score and you do not play, you just feel that you have to go back to the field and help your team."
The Knights (6-7-1) went into the penultimate NHL on Monday with an average of 2.29 goals per game, a net decrease from the last run. season mark of 3.27 when they finished fifth in the standings with 109 points.
The number of goals scored in Vegas is similar to last year's (2.74 in 2017-18 and 2.71 this season), while the team ranks fifth for (33.5) , in second place against (25.2) and has the third highest score in the league. – Differential shooting at 57.70%.
But the Knights also have the worst percentage of shots in the NHL at 5.6, while their equal-strength save percentage is 0.88 (28th overall) for a percentage of shot in the last place plus a percentage backup, also called PDO, of 954..
The power play ranked 28th in the league also did not help.
"We played better than our record," said Vegas head coach Gerard Gallant. "Everything seems a little more difficult than last year. Last year … the luck of the puck went our way.
"We have to get there."
Pacioretty, who was initially on a line with Stastny, is eager to build more chemistry with Alex Tuch and Erik Haula on every return to the game.
"I was really starting to feel my game," he said. "Some of the best I've played for a long time."
Pacioretty took the high road when asked his opinion on the general manager of the Canadiens, Marc Bergevin, with a brief "no resentment", adding that he was impressed by the departure of his former team after a bad performance last season.
"A lot of guys really progressed and bounced back," Pacioretty said. "This seems to be often the case in large markets and also when pressure is reduced and expectations are lower. You saw with Vegas last year the expectations and their results.
"It's easier to skate on the ice when you do not have that on your shoulders."
Pacioretty must now worry about her weight and burden.
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