Bolduc makes NHL debut for Blues in 4-0 win against Islanders

He then faced his coach with the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League who was named New York Islanders coach earlier this season, Patrick Roy.

No, Bolduc didn't get shot out of a cannon in a 4-0 win against the Islanders on Thursday at Enterprise Center, but the forward did get that first taste of life in the NHL.

Bolduc, who was recalled from Springfield of the America Hockey League where he had 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in 48 games with the Thunderbirds this season, did manage to play 9:57 with one shot on goal.

"Yeah, that was a hard game for him to play in," Blues interim coach Drew Bannister said. "I think we had 10 penalties over both teams. But I thought he showed a lot of maturity. It's a tough game to play in for a young player. 

"It's hard to understand when you're a young player playing in your first NHL game. It's an emotional game and there's a lot of work that goes into getting to this point, being able to step on the ice with other National Hockey League players and a lot of sacrifice by families. So it's an emotional game and I thought he did a real good job to keep himself engaged in the game and us trying to find him some ice time to reward him for that. But I thought overall, he played very well."

Bolduc played just 2:20 in the first period and got in four shifts because of the amount of power-play time for each team.

There were eight minutes of power-play time in the period and Bolduc wasn't going to get on the ice in special teams moments, not until late in the game.

What the Blues did with him was alternate him on lines, going between playing with Brayden Schenn and Jake Neighbours and then sliding down with Brandon Saad and Kevin Hayes.

"Yeah, I just tried to keep him involved as much as I can," Bannister said. 'I didn't plan on us having to kill five penalties or being on the power play five times. I think there were going to be opportunities, whether it was offensively or if he was sitting too long to try to put him on the other line with Schenn and [Kasperi] Kapanen ... they kill. I felt comfortable with Hayes and Saad, the way they were playing, that I could use him in that situation."

Bolduc did get in on the late power play in the third period when the game was already out of hand, but it is just the start for him. He didn't seem overwhelmed, which is a nice starting point.