It was a little later than expected, but Brady Tkachuk finally made his highly-anticipated NHL debut.
Selected fourth overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Tkachuk missed the Senators first two games due to a groin strain.
The 19-year-old hit the TD Garden ice sporting his dad Keith's No. 7 and was welcomed to the pro ranks with the time-honored tradition of the solo hot lap to start the day.
All eyes on No. 7.
— NHL (@NHL) October 8, 2018
Welcome to the show, @BradyTkachuk71. #NHLFaceoff pic.twitter.com/uYyoWJTtud
In his first four shifts of the game, Tkachuk played wing with Ryan Dzingel and Matt Duchene but was then moved to the line of Zack Smith and Matt Stone. He spent the majority of his 19 shifts on their wing. Over the course of the game, the St. Louis native saw 14:33 of ice time - all at even strength - with two shots, two missed shots, three hits and one giveaway.
Overall, it was a solid first game for the rookie, with some bright spots and some less shiny.
Nerves may have gotten the best of him at times, but he had made a smart, heads-up play in the second period. With the Senators controlling play deep in the Bruins zone, Tkachuk picked the opportune time to head to the bench for a line change. Ryan Dzingel jumped on, and because the Bruins lost track of him, was able to net the Senator's first goal of the game.
But two shifts later he showed his youth as he couldn't get out to his point. Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy's shot was then deflected past Mike Condon by Chris Wagner to give the Bruins a 3-1 lead.
During the third period, Tkachuk showed some of the fire that his dad and brother Matthew have shown in the NHL when he got a few chances on the short side doorstep and also jawed with the six-foot-nine Zdeno Chara.
While his NHL debut was obviously a special one, it was even more notable playing the game in Boston where he spent one year of college hockey playing for Boston University. The Senators practiced Sunday at Agganis Arena, the home of the Terriers. In his freshman year, Tkachuk had 31 points in 40 games and was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team.