Memorial Cup Tournament: Owen Beck needs to give it his all

Do you get the feeling that Owen Beck hasn’t been riding at the same pace for a few weeks now?

In fact, it seems that since the Canadiens’ training camp last fall, things have been different. Beck looked good before starting the season on fire in Mississauga.

Then he was rushed back to the World Junior Championship and the NHL.

But since then? He didn’t finish the season as expected in Peterborough, and his playoff production (eight goals and eight assists in 22 games) fell short of people’s expectations.

He may play on 200 feet, but he doesn’t produce like he did in Mississauga.

The man who wants to break into the Canadiens’ lineup in 2023-2024 has also been in the news for some moves that aren’t recommended in field hockey, as well as for his spats with Logan Mailloux and the London Knights.

Let’s hope this doesn’t carry over negatively when the two are in the NHL.

Obviously, it’s not always easy to adapt to a new club (especially when there are rumors that the club’s environment is toxic), but we expected to report more stories about the prospect.

All this to say that the Petes, who saw their new player able to play his first Memorial Cup game after his suspension was reduced, could expect better offensive production from him.

But so far, it’s been quiet.

The Petes, who managed to stay alive yesterday with a win over the Quebec Remparts, have managed just one point from the Montreal Canadiens prospect since the start of the tournament.

He scored a (very fine) goal in his first game.

The forward didn’t get a point in the duels against Kamloops and Quebec City and overall, his differential is -3. That’s not bad considering his team’s 10-2 loss, but still.

I’m sure his club wants to see more from him offensively, even if he’s involved on 200 feet.

And in fact, the way the tournament is shaping up, the Petes are going to need Beck (and many of his teammates) to step up in the next few days.

Why? Because the road to the Memorial Cup won’t be easy.

In fact, with a 1-2 record, the Petes will have to work hard in the corners to win the tournament. Tomorrow night, they face the loser of tonight’s game (Kamloops vs. Seattle) in a tie-breaker duel.

The winner of Thursday’s match will advance to the semi-finals on Friday evening.

Looking at it this way, only the Remparts are in a strong position for what’s to come. After all, whichever club wins tonight’s game (Seattle or Kamloops) will also have to win the semi-final game to earn the right to face the Remparts, who have already been in the final since Monday night.

The loser of tonight’s game will face the Petes in tomorrow’s tie-breaker, meaning that the three clubs outside Quebec must win three games to win the tournament.

All the Remparts have to do is win Sunday’s game. It won’t be easy, but it’s easier than the path of the other three teams in the tournament, isn’t it?

Until then, we’ll have plenty of time to speculate on Patrick Roy’s future…

Highlights

– Happy birthday, Joel.

– Obviously.

– Who needs to step up?

– Last but not least.

– Good question.