Messier, Gretzky ... Brassard? Center enjoys historic night after challenge from coach
Derick Brassard is not the type of player who frequently draws comparisons to some of the game's greats such as Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky. In fact, the talk about Brassard ahead of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals Tuesday was more about his meeting with coach Alain Vigneault early in the day.
According to NHL.com, Brassard and teammate Derek Stepan both earned an invitation for a chat with the coach early on Tuesday because Vigneault wanted more out of the two centers. Brassard and Stepan told NHL.com that the meeting did not involve yelling, but it seemed to motivate regardless.
"Since I've been playing hockey in junior, every time I get challenged like that, I always try to answer," Brassard told NHL.com. "I was already hard on myself, and it kind of got me more mad [Tuesday] morning."
Brassard answered in a big way Tuesday night, scoring five points off a hat trick and two assists to pace the Rangers to a 7-3 win over the Lightning. According to NHL.com, it was the first Rangers hat trick on the road in the playoffs since Gretzky recorded one in 1997. It was also the first Rangers hat trick in an elimination game since Messier collected one in Game 6 of the 1994 Eastern Conference finals.
Brassard's line had 13 total points in Tuesday's win, and Brassard said the motivation remains to finish the job in Game 7.
"The disappointment from losing last year I think really hit me from losing the last game at home and facing elimination [Tuesday]," Brassard said to NHL.com. "We're not far away to be in the final again. I just play."
(h/t NHL)
Photo credit: Chris O'Meara
