In their second game of the season and their second home game, the Boston Bruins played host to the Colorado Avalanche. After an impressive outing in the season home opener against the Nashville Predators, in which the young players brought their scoring, the second game for Boston was the exact opposite.
“I don’t think we were good in any area early,” head coach Bruce Cassidy said. “The core group that we rely on—it just wasn’t a good effort from young, old, in between, and clearly put myself in that category.”
From the drop of the first puck, there seemed to be disconnects, miscommunication, and bad bounces. There never seemed to be energy from any of the lines, despite the fact that Coach Cassidy tried to spark the bench by adjusting those lines.
“We liked what we saw against Nashville after a short period of time. We seemed to get everyone where they best fit and tonight I never found the right combination,” Cassidy explained. “So, I think it goes on both the players—it’s their job to play, whatever position they’re out there—and it’s up to the coach to find the chemistry and I couldn’t find it tonight, so shame on me.”
The Avalanche were up two goals, which included a shorthander scored by J.T. Compher that ricocheted off of Tuukka Rask’s shoulder and in, going into the first intermission. Just over six minutes into the third period, Rask made an aggressive move well above the circle trying to reach a misplayed puck before Nail Yakupov could get to it on a breakaway. As with everything else in the game, the bounce went to Yakupov—which is not to take away from the hard skating of Yakupov that allowed him to get therein time—and the Avalanche were up by three.
Semyon Varlamov
Some of the other numbers showed that the Bruins should have been doing better. They were dominant in the face off, yet, they spent most of the game chasing the puck. They were outshooting the Avs, and yet Semyon Varlamov denied every shot the Bruins took.
For Varlamov it was his second shutout against the Bruins—who have struggled when the Avalanche are in town—and his 22nd career shutout.
The Bruins will head out on a three-game road trip, which will begin with a rematch against the Avalanche on Wednesday, before heading to the desert to play the Arizona Coyotes and the Vegas Golden Knights. The Bruins continue to be without some key players, as David Backes and Noel Acciari have been put on injured reserve and Patrice Bergeron is still day-to-day.
Based on the lack of chemistry in Monday’s matinee Coach Cassidy will look to see what he can do to get some of that back, but road trips are always a good bonding experience and the Bruins will put this loss behind them and look toward the rematch and bringing the play they had against the Predators back to the forefront.
On Tuesday, it was announced that Patrice Bergeron was day-to-day with a lower body injury. And then on Wednesday, David Backes wasn’t on the ice because he was “under the weather,” as the Boston Bruins tweeted that morning. Torey Krug continues his recovery from a puck to the face in the preseason and Austin Czarnik was also injured during the preseason. Both of them were placed on injured reserve as the Bruins were finalizing their roster by Wednesday’s deadline. And Thursday it was announced that Backes was out with diverticulitis—which meant at least a couple of weeks out of the lineup at the minimum.
That was certainly not how Boston’s head coach Bruce Cassidy wanted to begin the season, and yet that was exactly what he had to do as the Bruins played host to the Nashville Predators in the first game of the season and the first home game at TD Garden. It was anticipated that the rookies who had survived the last roster cuts would be playing, but the lines were certainly supposed to be a bit different than how they ended up. And as the game went on even more changes took place for some of the lines.
“The game dictates it. We lost a player early, a forward, so right away you know you’re going to be juggling,” Cassidy said after the game. “I mean, I tend to tinker anyway. We’ve put some guys in the lineup with players they haven’t played with a lot in preseason. We had them together in camp, but still there’s no regular season chemistry.”
Pekka Rinne and Jake DeBrusk
Perhaps it was that lack of chemistry that ultimately made the change ups easier. At the beginning of the game, Anders Bjork was still on a line with Brad Marchand, while David Krejci had David Pastrnak and rookie Jake DeBrusk, who was making his NHL debut, along with Bjork. As things went on, after an upper body injury to Noel Acciari prevented him from returning to the game, additional changes were made and soon Krejci was working with both Bjork and DeBrusk.
As the puck dropped on the game, it was clear that the pace of the game was going to be high tempo—something that Cassidy had implemented in practice when he replaced Claude Julien in February of the 2016-17 season. The players came into this season with the understanding that speed was necessary and worked to make themselves lighter so they could push that pace.
“We know there will be challenges along the way, but it’s the culture we’re trying to create,” Cassidy explained. “If we continue to work on our fitness and practice habits and get it in our heads that’s the way we want to play—we want to be relentless, not reckless, for 60 minutes.”
All of the players were bustling on the ice and doing a good job of outworking the Predators, who did not even get a shot on net until 12:25 into the first period. By that point Boston had already been down a man, Pastrnak had put the Bruins on the board with a power play goal, and Adam McQuaid had dropped the gloves with Cody McLeod.
“[The Bruins] worked really hard. I think that was the key tonight for the first two periods. During that time, they outworked us and they put us behind a little bit. It was a 3-1 game and they generated a lot in a short period of time,” Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne shared after the game.
The rookies were part of that production. They were often on the rush and doing whatever they could to keep the play alive. Despite it being a debut for DeBrusk and Bjork, they slotted in, got down to business and did what needed to be done.
Anders Bjork and Mattias Ekholm
“They all had good moments. They all had learning moments throughout the course of the game, as we expected, but they stayed with it,” Cassidy stated at the end of the 4-3 game. “They’re good players and obviously helped us win a hockey game.”
Indeed the rookies did have good moments. With Krejci continuing to feed great passes—he had assists in the first three goals—DeBrusk and Boston University alum Charlie McAvoy were each able to notch their first NHL career goal—and both in front of their families. They would also get assists on the night giving them their first multi-point NHL career games. Bjork earned his first NHL career point with the second assist on McAvoy’s goal.
There were some growing pains to be sure, but in the end the Bruins showed they can play this faster game that has been trending in the NHL. Their rookies showed that they can step up and that management didn’t make any mistakes in keeping them on the roster.
The team is off on Friday, but they will be back at practice on Saturday, as they will be playing host to the Colorado Avalanche in a Monday matinee, due to it being Columbus Day. After reviewing the video from Thursday’s game, and perhaps working some of the lines that were more the result of missing players, it will be interesting to see what the black and gold bring to their first matinee game of the 2017-18 season.
By Rhonda R. McClure
(Photo: By David_Vasquez (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)
As many of us woke up on Monday, October 2, 2017, we were met with the news of yet another horrific event that had taken the lives of some and injured so many more. The gunman killed 59 people and injured more than 500 either through his own shots or the resulting stampede of panic that his shots caused in Las Vegas. Yet another fun event was tarnished and may never be the same.
As someone who lives in Boston and went through the Boston Marathon bombing, right down to the “shelter in place” that was declared when they were trying to find the one brother who had managed to escape, I understand what the citizens of Las Vegas are experiencing. It doesn’t help that the media is still all over the event and things are still coming out about what the shooter—who I refuse to name because it should be about the victims—had and did.
It is at times like this that the residents look for someone to give them a chance to begin the healing process. In Boston, the Red Sox and the Boston Bruins helped Bostonians take that first step back to normalcy. And it wasn’t just the local teams but the teams around the country of each league who showed support.
Now, unfortunately, Las Vegas is the one in need of healing. It should have been a time filled with the excitement and amazement of a new NHL franchise—something the citizens had been showing their support for from the moment the Las Vegas Golden Knights franchise was announced. Even before the team had a name, hockey fans were signing up for season tickets.
Though it seems heartless, time will continue moving forward and the NHL opening games which are slated to begin on Thursday will be played. For Vegas, their first home game will be played on October 10th.
However, the National Hockey League announced on Tuesday, October 3, 2017, that under the banner of “Vegas United” they, their 31 clubs, and all the players will honor the victims of the Vegas shooting at their season-opening games.
For those who go to hockey games, looking for that escape from day-to-day life, a sliver of healing will begin. And while it may seem like it is frivolous, as someone who went through this just four years ago, it does help. Watching the other teams wear stickers on their helmets and knowing that they cared, reminded me and the others that we weren’t alone.
Hockey fans, even though they wear different jerseys, know when they need to come together. But the National Hockey League understands that it takes more than just those good feelings. So the Vegas Golden Knights, the Foley Family Charitable Trust and the NHL announced a joint donation of $300,000 to support the victims. Additional assistance through pledge drives and other events will also take place.
Hockey is a family. And right now the NHL family comes together to support Las Vegas.
Las Vegas United.
Despite a disappointing loss on Saturday night to the Detroit Red Wings, there were a couple of positives to be taken from that game—one of them being the play of center Sean Kuraly. Given the heightened enforcement of the faceoffs, and how it has hampered some of the players, Kuraly was an impressive 71% at the dot winning 12 of 17 faceoffs. He also took the most faceoffs of any center on the Boston Bruins roster that night.
“That’s an important part of what I need to bring here and for whatever reason it was going my way,” Kuraly said of his finesse in the faceoff. “They were skill draws. They weren’t, you know, no one was cheating, and I feel like if I can get a fair draw then usually I feel it can go my way.”
For Kuraly, the changes at the dot compliment his style, commenting that he feels that’s how he usually takes a draw.
The Dublin, Ohio native was acquired by the Bruins in a trade with the San Jose Sharks, when his rights and a first round draft pick were sent to Boston in exchange for goaltender Martin Jones in 2015. The Miami University RedHawk graduated in 2016 and signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Bruins on June 30, 2016.
After going through camp with the Bruins last summer, he spent the bulk of his first professional year in Rhode Island with the Providence Bruins, AHL affiliate of the Boston club. While there he dressed for 54 games in the 2016-17 regular season, amassing 14 goals, 26 assists for 26 points. During the playoffs he dressed in 6 games, where he had one assist. Due to injuries in Boston he got called up to the NHL where he played eight regular season games, notching one assist and then played four playoff games in the Bruins return to the postseason for the first time in three seasons. He garnered two goals.
Sean Kuraly gets some info from Noel Acciari
His approach to this year is to play his game and do his job. And he’s not paying any attention to those getting cut.
“I don’t have the decision to be the 13th forward or the 12th forward or whatever forward. I’m a hockey player and my job is to go out there every day and bring the best I can and wherever I’m place, I’m placed,” he shared. “Wherever that is, I’m going to keep moving forward. I’m going to keep being the best hockey player I can be.”
His work ethic is being noticed by Head Coach Bruce Cassidy, who commented on his efforts on the puck during the game in Detroit. And he likes Kuraly’s speed.
“I think I’m definitely giving it my all. I feel pretty good about what I’ve done so far,” Kuraly said. “I think there’s definitely some room to continue to go offensively with the puck and stuff, but I think what comes first is putting yourself in the right spots and being true to my game and what I do and eventually, like last year, the offense will come.”
This is perhaps the first year in which there are a number of spots open for rookies, and Kuraly is certainly working hard to get one of those jobs. He also gives a nod to the competition amongst those with whom he shares the locker room as aiding in his development.
“If you’re not moving forward, you’re moving backward and we’re all… a lot of us are good friends and what not,” he stated. “We really respect each other’s abilities, but… I don’t mean to say but, that is true and we’re each just trying to bring the best we can every day. And I think it’s making us all better and the better each of us get the better it’s going to be for everybody. And we know that and its healthy competition.”
For those rookies who have survived the roster cuts so far, management is definitely looking to see what they can bring against the stronger lineups of the other teams.
“Keep pushing, consistency, being strong on the pucks as the lineups get stronger,” Cassidy described Monday morning about what he’s looking for.
Kuraly will play in the last home preseason game as the Boston Bruins take on the Chicago Blackhawks Monday night. The team will then take to the road for their remaining two games. The first in Philadelphia against the Flyers, whom they beat in a 2-1 game in overtime last week. They will then head to Chicago to play the Blackhawks once more.
Each day brings the final roster decisions closer, and General Manager Don Sweeney wants to have to make tough choices. He wants the rookies to step up and make it hard to send them to Providence. Even if Kuraly does get sent down, it won’t change his attitude. He will continue to play his game and do his job, knowing that an opportunity will arise to show what he can do at the NHL level.
Don Sweeney, General Manager of the Boston Bruins, announced on Sunday, September 24, 2017, that the organization has trimmed their training camp roster from 52 to 40 with still about a week and half to go in the preseason.
Management assigned five forwards, one defenseman and a goalie to the Providence Bruins, Boston’s American Hockey League affiliate. The forwards are Anton Blidh, Colby Cave, Jesse Gabrielle, Justin Hickman and Zach Senyshyn. Defenseman Jakub Zboril and goaltender Zane McIntyre have also been assigned.
It was also announced five additional players were cut and will join the Providence Bruins training camp which begins on Monday, September 24, 2017. Forwards include Colton Hargrove, and Chris Porter—both of whom played with Providence this past season. Defensemen are Chris Breen—who has played with Providence for the previous three seasons, Connor Clifton—a recent graduate of Quinnipiac University, and Taylor Doherty—who played ten games with Providence on loan last season.
Cuts were anticipated, and of those young players still pushing hard for a possible job with Boston, Head Coach Bruce Cassidy said that he felt that the forwards seemed to be stepping up a little more than the defensemen to date. Of course with the increased number of penalties called in the four games the Bruins have played, management has struggled a bit to see quality ice time of those they had hoped to watch in action as lines were shuffled and special teams were the norm instead of the exception.
The Bruins play their final home game of the preseason on Monday night, as they host the Chicago Blackhawks. The roster for that game will be released Monday morning.
By: Cathy Cuff Coffman
If “productivity starts at the top,” then the ECHL’s Reading (Penn.) Royals ice hockey team is well positioned for success.
Owned by self-styled Reading, Pennsylvania businessman and “serial entrepreneur” Jack Gulati (who also owns Texas ECHL team Allen Americans,) Gulati staffed his organization with proven winners, including AHL Hall of fame executive Doug Yingst, who recently concluded a 34-year career with the Hershey Bears. Yingst is also a two-time winner of the AHL’s James C. Hendy Memorial Award, which is awarded annually to the executive who has made the most outstanding contribution to the American Hockey League.
Yet the true test of the team’s character and winning attitude, day in and day out, lies within the coaching staff.
In Reading, Gulati has equipped his team with proven winners. At the top of that list are Head Coach Kirk MacDonald and assistant coach Patrick Wellar.
The first thing you notice when meeting with MacDonald and Wellar is the camaraderie that exists between these two gentlemen. No surprise there—as they spent time together as teammates on the Kelly Cup-winning Royals during the 2012-13 season.
While MacDonald lifted his lone Cup during the ’12/’13 season, Wellar, an ECHL All-Star for the ’04-’05 season, has hoisted an impressive array of championship hardware: Three Kelly Cups (’06 Alaska Aces; ’09 South Carolina Stingrays; ’13 Reading Royals) and an AHL Calder Cup with the ’09/’10 Hershey Bears.
It’s this winning attitude and commitment to be “players’ coaches” that Gulati and company are betting will bring another championship run to Reading.
It also helps that the Royals are affiliated with neighboring Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Philadelphia Flyers—ranked by The Hockey Writers as the league’s #1 farm system. The backyard farm system enables the organization to create much-needed fluidity and transfers among its three teams, thus ensuring both player development and a promotion of “winning.”
“We want to keep it fresh,” joked MacDonald during a recent “off ice” day in his downtown Reading office. MacDonald, a graduate (and hockey captain) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, admitted that he never was interested in options in the business world.
“I knew I always wanted to be in hockey. My dad was an athletic director, and it is just natural that (after my playing career, which ended in Reading after the ’13 season), I would stay in the game. When Jack (Gulati) bought the team, I came back to Reading.”
True to form, MacDonald then turned his attention to the team. “I came back because I like the culture of winning here. It’s easy to stay motivated when you want to advance your players and yourself at the same time.”
After a coaching change last year in Reading, MacDonald, an assistant coach under former head coach Larry Courville, assumed an interim head coach position before being offered the gig full-time this season. His first task was to find an assistant coach.
He did not have to look far.
Wellar, who spent time as a player-coach with Alaska and then a full-time head coach with the Cincinnati Cyclones, was eager to return to Reading. His fiancee is from nearby Hershey, and he has long considered central Pennsylvania a second home.
MacDonald and Wellar roomed together in Reading for the ’12/’13 Cup season, and they remained close friends. When MacDonald called, Wellar was “all in.”
“In this business you don’t get many opportunities to be in your backyard,” said Wellar. “This was a chance I could not pass up.”
Relationship Building
During a kickoff Town Hall Meeting with local fans, Doug Yingst, the former president and general manager of the Hershey Bears and American Hockey League Hall of Famer, and current Royals special advisor for hockey operations, opined that good teams are not always just comprised of talent, but “love, chemistry and camaraderie.”
Reading Royals Head Coach Kirk MacDonald and assistant coach Patrick Wellar.
Given the easy relationship between MacDonald and Wellar, transferring that philosophy to the young on-ice talent shouldn’t be difficult.
But it’s not all about roses and unicorns. Player/coach relationships are important, but as MacDonald cautioned, there is a fine line between player and coach.
“We cannot be buddies, but we can build relationships (with our players),” he offered. “They may be struggling (off the ice), and it’s important for us as coaches to know these things.”
Calling a player out on the ice in front of his teammates isn’t always the most effective way to institute change, he cautioned.
Wellar agreed. “We need to build a locker room where everyone cares about each other,” he said. “It’s also really important to have the hockey staff on the same page. If players see a spirit of camaraderie among the staff…even the support staff…they are going to adopt that attitude among themselves.”
Minor league hockey players are a transient bunch, and with journeyman’s pay, ECHL players often look for outside factors in deciding where they will sharpen their skates.
“Reading doesn’t have beaches, or mountains, or a great nightlife,” said Wellar, “But what we offer is a tradition of winning.” MacDonald pointed out that the club has not missed the playoffs since 2009, and players that want to further their game and their exposure choose winning organizations over ancillary benefits.
As for the on-ice x’s and o’s, both coaches stress that the team will play a pressing, up-tempo game. The objective is puck possession with an active D-corps that simply wears the other teams down.
“It’s no fun chasing the puck for 60 minutes,” said Wellar, who will be in charge of the defense. “We’ll encourage our defense to step up, to join the play, and possess the puck.”
The nature of the ECHL game has changed over the course of several seasons, and now players are fast, skilled and smart. Fans, however, still want to see that physical play, and in Reading that is no exception.
“Yeah, these fans (were brought up) on the Broad Street Bullies,” laughed Wellar, “and we will have a collective ‘team toughness,’ but will still focus on speed and skill.”
ECHL rosters are just starting to fill out at this writing, but all indications is that Reading will be fortified with key signings from the affiliates.
But ECHL survival is not just about hockey smarts and team esprit de corps. It’s about attendance. Both the Alaska Aces and Elmira Jackals ceased operations last season, and the fact is not lost on the coaching staff.
“Our responsibility is to win games,” says MacDonald, offering that it’s a great feeling to see the stands fill as the team wins.
“We’re also going to be more visible in the community, doing things that we haven’t done before.” Most recently, team players and representatives have attended local community day block parties.
And in a nod to Penn State football fans, which are legion in the area, the Royals have scheduled home games so that fans can enjoy both. “Our home opener is at 4 pm because Penn State plays that day too,” said MacDonald.
“When we won the (Kelly) Cup in 2013, we (players) all wanted to hang out together,” offered Wellar.
If these two coaches—and the management—has anything to say about it, the incoming Royals for 2017-18 will be great teammates and great friends.
They can look to their coaching tandem for leadership by example.
The Boston Bruins announced their roster for Tuesday night’s preseason home game against the Detroit Red Wings. It is the first game of the preseason for Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, who was drafted by the Bruins in 2015 in the 2nd round (45th overall). He is one of the players who seems poised to earn a permanent spot on the roster.
This isn’t the first NHL action for the 20-year-old Swede. He signed his entry-level contract with the Bruins organization April 2, 2017, after having played two years of collegiate hockey with the Boston University Terriers. He suited up for Boston in their final regular season game against the Washington Capitals on April 8, 2017. However, this is his first time at training camp.
Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson when a BU Terrier
“It’s always fun to play hockey. It’s nice to be back after the summer,” he shared at the start of the main training camp. “You put a lot of work into the summer and it’s nice to be back now and get on the ice and be able to play.”
Throughout his time with the Terriers, the 6’1” center, played 78 games in the scarlet and white where he amassed 24 goals and 39 assists for 63 points and was a +11. During rushes at the Bruins’ morning skate, he was on a line with David Backes and Frank Vatrano—a line that is expected to play together Tuesday night.
As with most of the preseason, the point is to see who brings what to the table and where the chemistry is starting to come together.
“I think working with [Forsbacka Karlsson], [Vatrano] and I both try to communicate. I think the less you think out there, the quicker you’re moving and so the quicker we can get some chemistry together; know where each other is going to be,” Backes shared a couple of days ago. “Communicate through that, the pace is going to continue to go up.”
Two days later, there was improvement, but the true test will be while the three of them are in game action.
“Every day it’s gotten better. [Forsbacka Karlsson] in particular is just starting to flow with it; skating better every day, not hesitating and he can scoot,” Backes said after Tuesday’s morning skate. “We’ll have a shift-by-shift mentality and regroup on the bench and go for another great shift.”
Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson (Photo: Alan Sullivan)
One of the attributes that came up most about the speedy center is his mental approach to the game.
“Yeah, I think he’s a guy that is a cerebral player. He thinks the game well, but at times that can be cumbersome too, and maybe slow you down a little bit, so we’re [Vatrano and Backes] trying to communicate with him that he’s got great instincts, that he can trust those instincts and go,” Backes said.
For Forsbacka Karlsson, he’s paying attention to his line mates and what they are sharing, especially Backes.
“I think especially when you’re watching [Backes] both on and off the ice, the little things that he does and the way he kind of handles the puck and takes care of the puck is probably the biggest thing,” he told media.
The line has certainly begun to gel some and if Forsbacka Karlsson can just immerse himself in the game and not overthink the play or the overall system, the three of them could be formidable.
“As long as you’re not thinking out there, you’re probably going to be on top of the play and he’s got all the tools once he is there,” Backes complimented the young center.
The Boston Bruins have their first preseason game Monday night in Quebec City at the Centre Videotron, where they will play as the home team and host the Montreal Canadiens. For the Bruins, many of the roster spots in this game have gone to younger players to see what they can do in a game situation.
There are a few veterans, and defenseman Chris Breen is an older player who has not been able to crack the Boston club’s lineup since joining the organization three season ago. The 6’7” Uxbridge, Ontario native has had some shoulder issues that certainly contributed to his struggles to make it to Boston, but he seems to be in a strong place coming into the current season.
“Good so far, I mean, testing day went well and the first days of skates I felt pretty good and the pace was pretty good at camp.” Breen told me.
While this is Bruce Cassidy’s first full season with the Boston Bruins as Head Coach, he is quite familiar with what kind of a player Breen can be.
“I think he’s got a lot to offer. He’s a good defender. He’s a good skater for a big man,” Cassidy said. “He can move the puck, sees the ice. He can make a first pass.”
Cassidy’s familiarity with Breen and Breen’s familiarity with the systems and the staff make for perhaps an easier transition for the imposing defenseman.
“Having the coaches be a little more familiar with me and what I can bring to the team, to the game, I think that helps me for sure,” he shared. “I’ve played the system before so I’d be comfortable jumping in and playing games.”
Preseason is a time to seize any opportunity, and one of those is to understand that the coaching staff is looking at which of the players can jump right in and get to work. For Breen, he hasn’t played this early in the preseason before, but he’s happy for the chance.
Chris Breen
“I like the idea of getting in the first game and getting my feet under me and not having to sit around and watch other people play,” he said smiling.
He’s conscious that he is being evaluated, but he’s also set some of his own benchmarks for his performance in Monday night’s tilt with the Habs.
“Just have a good steady game,” he expressed when I asked him what he wanted from the game. “Just set a foundation that I can build on this season and show the club that I can continue improving and that I might be a good fit for the team.”
Being as big as he is, there could be some who feel he can’t bring enough to the game in the way of agility and puck movement, but even with that, it’s important to have someone watching that blue line and Breen feels he’s the person for that job.
“I think I’ve been a pretty reliable defenseman down in Providence for the last three years now and consistency and good defensive play, and you know, just kind of a steady presence at the blue line,” Breen said in describing his strengths.
“He was arguably Providence’s best defenseman in the playoffs last year. I’m going by what I hear,” Cassidy said about Breen’s game.
For the first time since the 2008-09 season the Providence Bruins made it to the third round of the playoffs before falling to the Syracuse Crunch. However, Breen was one of the reasons the team was able to get as far as they did this past season.
When the puck drops Monday night, Breen will have an opportunity to show Coach Cassidy and the rest of the Boston Bruins staff what he can do in a game situation, which is arguably the best evaluation. If he can stay healthy, his size; “long fuse,” as Cassidy described; and consistency at the blue line could serve Boston well.
Last year, Frank Vatrano’s plans on making the Boston Bruins’ lineup at the start of the season got derailed when he ended up injured—suffering torn ligaments in his left foot during training just before camp began. This resulted in surgery and he was ultimately off the ice for three months. By the time he was able to get back into the game, the Bruins were having some troubles and the lineup was in somewhat of a flexible state, not allowing Vatrano to settle in and show what he could do.
This season he has come into camp completely healthy and he has matured some as well. His determination is present too, and he knows the areas of his game he needs to work on.
“I think my overall game just needs to get better. I think I need to be a complete 200-foot player and I just need to bring consistency night in and night out,” Vatrano stated after finishing his first on-ice session of training camp on Friday.
And he’s not taking training camp lightly. He understands the level of competitiveness that exists this season, especially with some talented younger players vying for slots.
“It’s really competitive, so, you know, every practice is like a game. You gotta treat it like that. You gotta bring your best effort forward,” he shared. “There’s young guys that are coming in that can compete for a spot and for those guys that have been here they don’t want to lose that job, so they’re going to work even harder to keep that spot.”
Once he did get into the lineup last season, he hit an unexpected wall, but it wasn’t a player. Instead it was his own mind.
Frank Vatrano
“You’re younger and you realize that things aren’t going your way,” he described. “You try to keep a steady mindset and yet keep a positive mindset. I think that’s the biggest thing for me is don’t get down on myself, if I make mistakes, or I’m not playing the best, just know that I’m in the NHL and I’ve just gotta do what I do that got me here.”
Perhaps Head Coach Bruce Cassidy has helped him along that cerebral path, in a way, by acknowledging that the players may not always have their A game. But as long as they bring a B game, they can still contribute to the team and help the Bruins take a win instead of a loss. Cassidy’s suggestion of bringing a B game is not meant to excuse any player from hitting the ice with 100% effort. Instead it is intended to offer what he considers an acceptable alternative when struggling.
Playing 82 games in a season, before even making it to the playoffs, takes a toll on all the players. It’s clear when some players are on fire and when some are in their heads. Cassidy’s approach is to help his players come up with other ways to contribute when they are fighting the puck, instead of perhaps just overthinking things and getting deeper into a non-productive cycle, also known as gripping the stick too tightly.
“You know, a lot of nights you can’t always have your A game when you play eighty-two nights a year of games plus, so I’ve asked the players, ‘Listen, some nights the puck doesn’t cooperate with you; it’s not following you. You have to get back to the team,’” Cassidy explained. “Whether you’re tracking back, solid defensively, bringing some energy to finish checks, to bring something to the team that way.”
This has Vatrano thinking about what else he can do if he finds his A game isn’t there. And perhaps he should hear what Coach Cassidy had to say in regard to some options.
“For Frank, it would be energy, because he’s a straight-line skater. [He] creates some loose puck situations,” Cassidy suggested. “Maybe get some offense created that way. A pretty good line rush, whatever line he’s on generally, and he’s got a good release to score off the rush.”
Vatrano is listening to his head coach and the assistant coaches. He understands that success rests with him, especially this season given that he is healthy. Setbacks such as the injury he experienced last season make it hard to find a permanent slot at the NHL level in mid-season. Now it is up to him and what he is willing to do to claim that spot when the puck drops at the start of the season.
“I think I’m a younger guy who’s got a good opportunity here,” he elaborated. “The organization has treated me great since I [first] stepped foot here. They gave me the chance to play in the NHL and that’s been my dream my whole life. So for me I just want to prove to Boston and everyone that I can be a fulltime NHL player. I can play a 200-foot game. I can play a consistent game night in and night out. And that’s what I have to prove here starting with today.”
On Thursday, September 14, 2017, the Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney announced that they had reached an agreement with and signed forward David Pastrnak to a six-year contract through the 2022-23 season for a yearly average of $6.67 million.
According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Pastrnak will be earning $4 million more than Filip Forsberg whose $36 million extension with Nashville in 2016 was used as a number during negotiations between the Bruins and Pastrnak’s agent J.P. Barry. Of course, given the amount that Leon Draisaitl got in August—an eight-year, $68 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers—it was perhaps not surprising that perhaps negotiations were taking longer than what people hoped, as Pastrnak hoped to get a big contract.
It seems the only ones worried about whether or not Pastrnak would sign with the Bruins were the fans. It was clear as Sweeney addressed the media on Thursday that he wasn’t worried.
Krejci and Pastrnak
“I always said that we were going to find a deal. It took time, right up against… there wasn’t a deadline, we didn’t look at it like that,” Sweeney shared. “We had strong, open communication. I just think the work paid off for both sides to find a good landing spot that both sides were extremely happy with the end result and to get the full complement at camp, I think everyone would acknowledge, is to the benefit of everyone’s interests.”
For those not involved in the negotiations, it appeared that nothing was happening. However, both the Bruins organization and Pastrnak and his agent were talking and continuing to look for that middle ground where all would be happy.
“There’s no timeline. It’s just a level of communication and respect for both parties and understanding where the positions are and keep working at is, as I said.” Sweeney stressed.
Pastrnak was not in Boston on Thursday and it was stated that he would be arriving sometime Friday evening. He will still need to go through physicals and testing before he is cleared to join the rest of the players on the ice and some of his teammates are hoping they can be there when he does go through those tests.
“We’ll get the kid across the sea and make him do all the testing, hopefully with all of us watching and a little hazing for the what, 20 to 30-minute hold out. So give him a hard time for that,” forward David Backes joked.
“We’re happy for him. Hope he hurries up and gets his butt here and we can rib him a little bit, but very happy for him and happy that it’s a done deal,” said defenseman Kevan Miller.
David Pastnak vs. John Moore and Corey Schneider
Pastrnak is respected by his teammates, especially for what he accomplished this last season, with his 34 goals and 36 assists for 70 points—all a career high for him. He was second on the team in goals and tied in tenth in the league; third on the team in assists and second on the team with points.
“He’s a hell of a player. To have him in the lineup makes us a lot more potent; makes our lineup a lot deeper. We can spread out our scoring and he’s gonna garner a lot more attention coming off the year he had last year,” said Backes. “And hopefully the rest of us can pick up on some of the open space that is going to be created by him taking a lot of that attention.”
Of course, that kind of attention will mean more hits and Pastrnak will need to prepare for them and make sure he responds, while keeping things on the right side of the legal line.
“We want to see that next progression from him as well, and teams are going to play him differently and harder. He will have to accept that and get past that. All young players have to go through that.”
David Pastrnak
Perhaps the attention to some of the penalties like slashing that have been mentioned by newly appointed director of player safety, George Parros may help in keeping Pastrnak a bit safer on the ice. However, Pastrnak will definitely have to be stronger with the puck ensuring that he is not easily knocked off along the boards and in the corners.
Pastrnak will hopefully pass all his tests and be on the ice with the rest of the team soon. And then there is the little matter of sharing a bit of the wealth with his teammates—as there is a tradition of gifts after signing a big contract.
“We’ll see what he comes up with,” joked past gift giver, and assistant captain, Patrice Bergeron. “We’ll make sure he hears about it.”
While he may be getting a nice paycheck, it is clear that his teammates will keep him humble and guide him through this new learning experience. And in the meantime, the Bruins will have an asset to join the other great players and continue to plan for a strong season.
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