Cehlarik worth shot on 2nd line
Unless you actually thought the Bruins were going to play .800 hockey forever under interim coach Bruce Cassidy, they’ve arrived at a juncture most sensible people knew would present itself. They have lost three in a row. So with nine games left in the regular season, where do they go from here?
Well, there’s one route they can’t take. They cannot play it safe, and it’s felt a little like that the last couple of games.
That’s not to say the aggressive approach that has been the hallmark of Cassidy’s short tenure has waned. That has pretty much remained intact.
But the lineup has felt a little too cautious.
The biggest issue right now is finding the right fit to be the second-line left winger. The latest tryout in that important spot has been Matt Beleskey — a hard-working, grinding, heavy player who will bring a strong battle level and, at least this year, very little chance to score a goal. Beleskey won’t kill you there, but he’s not producing much, either.
His season badly interrupted by a knee injury, Beleskey has worked his way back into form to the point that he’s earned his spot in the lineup. His acceleration that drew a third-period penalty against the Senators proved that. Taking pucks off the noggin’ while fearlessly going to the net, as he did in two consecutive games, tends to endear you to your teammates, too. It’s just hard to justify playing Beleskey in the top six with the lack of production he’s had (three goals in 42 games).
Other candidates have had their issues as well. Drew Stafford, a right shot, has had more success on his natural wing and on the third line with Ryan Spooner. Frank Vatrano, who has also gotten a few shifts, also seems better suited for the third line.
The second line has looked its most dangerous — for better and worse — with rookie Peter Cehlarik as the left winger. The 21-year-old Slovakian appeared to be gaining some chemistry with Czechs David Krejci and David Pastrnak, and he possesses the size, vision and skill level that suggest he projects as a top-six forward. The B’s went 7-3 with him riding with Krejci and Pastrnak.
There were reasons for Cehlarik being sent back to Providence late last week. Cassidy noticed at times he was not hard enough on the puck. In his last game for the B’s in Vancouver, he fell down on what should have been an offensive zone faceoff win that turned into a transition goal for the Canucks. And for all his obvious skill, he still had just two assists in 11 games, with what would have been his first NHL goal taken off the board after an offside video challenge.
But for an organization that changed coaches six weeks ago in part because it wanted better integration of younger players into the lineup, it seemed like a quick hook.
If the organizational determination is that Cehlarik is not ready, so be it. What about taking a look at Jake DeBrusk, the 14th overall pick from 2015? The 20-year-old left shot forward has had an upand-down first pro season in Providence, but he gets pucks to the net (he leads AHL rookies in shots with 170) and he’s coming off a strong weekend (goal, four assists in three games).
Whoever fills that spot, that second line needs more skill.
Coaches, even ones not named Claude Julien, are understandably hesitant to put young players in such important roles. Part of it is simply the unknown of how those young players will react in highly pressurized situations. But they have to be put in those situations to get the answer.
At the end of the 2007-08 season, when the B’s were in a similar rebuild, Julien had no choice but to entrust the No. 1 center spot to a 21-year-old Krejci with seven games to go and a playoff spot hanging in the balance. Patrice Bergeron was out for the season with a concussion and Marc Savard had just suffered a broken bone in his back. Krejci produced three goals and six assists in those seven games and the B’s captured their first playoff berth in three seasons in the penultimate game of the season.
The Bruins renew their playoff push tonight against a desperate Tampa Bay team. Giving Cehlarik his shot just might be worth the gamble.