Backes a hit on 3rd line
So on a personal level, David Backes has a very nice, No. 1 star kind of night, and afterward he mostly wanted to talk about his linemates, about the rest of his teammates and about “the process.”
Eventually he did get around to admitting, yes, scoring a couple of goals in the Bruins’ rare 6-1 laugher against the Arizona Coyotes last night — his first goals of the season — was kind of sweet.
“I kind of knew the dam was going to break here eventually,” said Backes, who was in his third game back after a remarkably fast recovery from colon surgery. “I felt like we were creating a lot of good quality chances and not finishing them off.
“Contributing offensively is a good feeling, that’s not lost on me. But I have always been one to trust in the process, trust in playing hard and playing the right way — knowing that the results will come from that. Rather than the other way — concentrating on the results, looking at the statistics lines and if it’s going in or not.
“I (know) that over time I’ll get my looks, I’ll get my opportunities. I’ve been there before. It’ll go in eventually — typically in bunches. Hopefully this is the beginning of a big bunch.”
The goals arrived in different forms. The first, which made it 2-1 and proved to be the game-winner, came as Backes battled rugged defenseman Jakob Chychrun in the low slot at 13:54 of the second period. Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk let go a shot from the left point and Backes applied a deft tip to direct the puck over the right shoulder of Coyotes goalie Scott Wedgewood.
His second goal came a few minutes later in the second period, and pretty well iced the win. This time, Backes showed a good stick in the offensive end to cleanly intercept a pass from defenseman Alex Goligoski in the left circle. He skated a step or two closer and snapped a forehander into the far side past Wedgewood’s glove.
Backes spoke afterward about the chemistry being created by the Bruins’ third line, and the unit’s identity as a keep-it-simple, straight-ahead forechecking threesome.
“Overall, it felt like we spent a lot of time in the offensive zone, pucks back to the point, getting some traffic in front and we were able to create some turnovers, some forecheck goals,” said Backes. “That’s a good identity . . . to have and to continue shift-by-shift to provide that spark, provide that pressure.”
Coach Bruce Cassidy also talked at length after the game about Backes and the No. 3 line. He said he did not doubt the veteran forward would start finding the net.
“He’s scored a lot of goals in this league (with) 500 points,” said Cassidy. “You know it was going to come.
“It has been a while coming for David. We played him in some games to prepare him for (the Nov. 2) surgery, which sounds completely weird. Then he comes back and plays some good games but doesn’t get rewarded. For him I think it was important. He is a well-liked guy in the room, so the guys were genuinely happy.”
And Cassidy’s on the third line?
“I always believe your checking line should be a threat to score,” the coach said. “Otherwise, the line they’re against, which is generally an offensive line, will not respect them in that manner, knowing that there’ll be no consequences.
“(With) that line, I had that in mind. David has scored a lot of goals — 15 or 20, 22, 23, whatever the average is,” Cassidy continued. “I think Danton Heinen has the ability to make plays, so there’s a skill element on the left side. And then (Riley) Nash has always been that checking center with some offensive upside.
“So you throw them all in there and you got a little bit of physicality; two guys who can win a faceoff; all three can kill penalties; two are on the power play.
“So you’ve got elements of both. That’s the thinking, and it’s working. It’s great, because the third line was a question mark this year. And at least in the short term, we’ve solved that problem.” thoughts