BRUINS OFFENSE BROKE
Team needs a fix
NASHVILLE—The Bruins need a fix, and a quick one will not do.
After a 1-0 loss to the NHL-leading Predators, the B’s have now been shut out in two of their last three games. In between those two clean-sheet defeats, it took another terrific effort from someone on the top line – Brad Marchand – to beat the Hurricanes in Raleigh.
If a team can focus all its efforts in shutting down that one line, there is a good chance that it will beat the B’s.
The two glaring holes in the lineup are the same as they were when training camp opened in September – top-six winger and and a third-line center. Two of their best in-house candidates for the former, Trent Frederic and Jakub Forsbacka Karlsson, are in Providence, both sent down near the end of training camp. Ryan Donato, the leading hopeful for the latter, was sent down to the farm on Friday with instructions to improve on on his board work and other details.
So, barring an impact trade, what can coach Bruce Cassidy to do? Well, he can pray for a return to health to some of his puck-moving defenders like Matt Grzelcyk (lower body) and Charlie McAvoy (undisclosed), which should help the attack. Grzelcyk has a shot to play tonight against Dallas.
He can also continue to demand more from players that he knows can give more, which sounded like the route he planned on taking after the loss to the Predators. When the ever-lurking subject of breaking up the top line came up, Cassidy said he was not inclined to do that, at least on a more permanent basis.
When he first took over for Claude Julien, one of the striking differences between the coaches was Cassidy’s quick trigger to mix his lines. But with the way things are going, Cassidy doesn’t believe that is the solution right now.
“The problem I have with that is, now you’re letting people off the hook a little bit,” said Cassidy. “You have to take ownership of you’re own game at some point. This is the National Hockey League and you have to take ownership. So I’m not going to put (Patrice Bergeron, Marchand and David Pastrnak) all on separate lines. You can move Pasta around, which we have. But at the end of the day, the other guys need to find a way to generate a little bit more. I think it’s on the staff, to put some stuff in place for them, but then I don’t think you can sit around and wait and say ‘Oh, if I get this linemate, I’m going to be better.’ I don’t think that’s the appropriate attitude and it’s not the cul- ture we want to create here. Yes, I like to tinker, but at the same token, the guys have to dig in a little bit.”
The B’s need more from the second line. Danton Heinen has not found the back of the net yet this season. Jake DeBrusk has not scored in the last three games and did not take a shot in the loss in the Predators. The third line chased the puck all night in Nashville. Joakim Nordstrom, now the third line center, hasn’t scored in five games. Anders Bjork hasn’t scored in seven games, with his goal and assist this season both coming in a blowout win over the lowly Red Wings. David Backes, in his first game back from a concussion, was not able to change the third line’s fortunes. He, too, has yet to score this season. The fourth line had some chances in Nashville, but they could do a better job of shifting momentum in games.
That they need to be better does not come as news to the players themselves.
“I thought we had some looks, but we can’t rely on that top line to do it every night. We’ve got to find a way to help them,” said Heinen, whose rough defensive zone shift led to the only goal of the game on Saturday. “At some point, you can’t just say ‘were getting chances.’ Enough is enough. We’ve got to produce. It’s frustrating, but we have to find a way to produce.”
The chief pitfall for the Bruins this year was that they had a lot of second-year players on the team who had tasted some level of success last year. A few sophomore slumps could sabotage the B’s hopes of remaining in the top tier of contenders. Right now, that fear is coming to fruition.
“We’re put in good positions to produce, offensive positions, the power play,” said Heinen. “They’ve put me in spots to produce and when you don’t, it’s frustrating. There’s no excuses really. I’ve got to keep on working.”
But time is running short for Heinen and the rest of the young players to work their way out of it. They’ve got three teams playing good hockey right now coming to town this week in the Stars, Canucks and Maple Leafs. After playing the Golden Knights on Sunday, they head out on a fourgame road trip before Thanksgiving. By the end of these next two weeks, general manager Don Sweeney should have a good idea on what changes he needs to make to his club, if he doesn’t know already.
But whether the change comes from the outside or within the organization, the Bruins cannot continue as a one line team and expect to win many games.