More power to Grzelcyk’s game
Youngster takes advantage
When the Bruins’ first power-play unit is humming and the tic-tac-toe plays are connecting, the highly skilled players who are employed on it can sometimes make it look easy. Matt Grzelcyk can tell you, it is not. The secondyear pro was handed the blue line spot on the first power-play group when Torey Krug suffered an ankle injury in preseason, forcing him out of he lineup for the first month of the season. The Charlestown native will pass the torch back to the returning Krug sometime this week. But he’s received a pretty valuable education over the last month, as well as another line for his hockey resume. Coach Bruce Cassidy said he’s seen some growth in Grzelcyk’s power-play work “at times.” “I think that it’s good for him to know that he can go up there,” Cassidy said yesterday after the team’s morning skate. “He may end up morphing into the second unit now. It’s a little different animal in how they attack but that would depend on Charlie (McAvoy’s health). ” Aside from an 0-for-10 skid on their recent road trip, the B’s man-advantage has been pretty productive, if not always smooth. Its 9-for-29 (31 percent) click rate is fourth best in the league. Grzelcyk has five assists on the season, four coming on the power play. “I think he has been great for us this year,” said Brad Marchand, who mans the right half wall. “Since last year there’s more confidence. He probably feels a lot better out there. He had a great year last year, but he seems to be on a different level this year, the way he carries the puck and brings it out from our end. ” Grzelcyk played quite a bit of power play at Boston University, but this is a far greater challenge “It’s just the positioning of the players,” he said. “They’re better coached. It’s certain guys’ jobs to be in certain spots obviously. And I think we probably prescout teams more in pro hockey than in college, so you have a better understanding of where a power play is going to be. Just general hockey IQ of guys around the league is extremely high. They’re going to know some certain tendencies and it’s no secret that the Bruins have had a really good power play for a long time and it’s been a strong suit for us.” Krug’s booming shot gives the B’s power play a different dynamic, and it’s something Grzelcyk hasn’t possessed. Though Grzelcyk didn’t know he’d be getting this chance during his summer training, he did spend much of the offseason working on his shot but he hasn’t uncorked it much. His six shots on net is the lowest total of any Bruin. “I’m not trying to force anything,” said Grzelcyk. “I’ve been able to see Marchy and (David Pastrnak) have been open a little bit and obviously I want to get the puck into their hands but if the shot’s there I’m willing to take it. It’s something I’ve been working on over the summer. I feel like it’s something I’ve improved upon for sure. I’m just not trying to force anything right now.” What Grzelcyk has been doing more of lately — and what Cassidy would like to see more of still — is going down low, switching off with Marchand or Pastrnak to add some movement. “When they’re playing well they’re moving as much as they can,” Grzelcyk said. “I think at times the power play can get kind of stagnant. It’s something that the coaching staff and the players brought up as well. I like that as well. I think you can make plays and you see a few more things and you can throw the penalty kill off the seam as well.” However long it lasts, his experience has been productive for Grzelcyk. “You certainly learn from the experience as much as you can,” he said. “It’s been good playing with those guys.”