B’s need toget physical
With the clock running down on the Bruins 8-5 loss to the Canucks on Thursday night, defenseman Torey Krug instigated a fight with Vancouver’s Darren Archibald and was given a misconduct. At 5-foot-9, Krug isn’t the ideal player for that situation, but at the least, somebody stood up for a big hit on Joakim Nordstrom. The Bruins don’t necessarily need to be inciting more fisticuffs, but a stronger physical presence might be in order. That was the message yesterday when coach Bruce Cassidy sat down Noel Acciari. “The shoe should have been on the other foot the other night. We should be initiating contact, they should be chasing us around the ice,” said Cassidy. “That falls on certain physical players, and he falls into that category. Do we put that on him? No, but we are tonight.” With 22-year-old Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson centering the third line on last night against the Maple Leafs, it allowed room for David Backes to slide down to the fourth unit with Chris Wagner and Sean Kuraly. The Bruins’ 20.4 hits per game heading into last night rank 20th in the league, but that’s not always a bad thing; hit numbers can sometimes indicate chasing the puck instead of having possession. But with a couple instances of it being the likes of Krug or Brad Marchand being the ones to stand up and throw their weight and incite fights, there’s some value to role players stepping in those situations. “We like how Backes, Kuraly, Wagner gives us an identity line,” said Cassidy. “With Noel out, you still have that flavor. I liked JFK (Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson) in the games in China, he played with ( Jake) DeBrusk and (Ryan) Donato and younger players and he seemed to be more comfortable.” Nothing went right from defense to goaltending to missing on scoring chances at times against the Canucks, but the lack of physicality when needed was a mental note for the coaching staff. The Bruins have had players in and out of the lineup at times this season, and Cassidy said he thinks it worked as far as motivating the team. Last night, it was Acciari’s turn to sit, but the message was clear; physical players are expected to be on the giving, not receiving, end of things. “We do expect some of those physical players, especially in games like the other night where it’s not going our way, to change the tide,” said Cassidy. “In today’s NHL, it’s usually with physicality.” Second line better While the top line continues to dominate the offensive presence on the scoresheet, the Bruins second line has slowly built some momentum. DeBrusk scored twice on Thursday, and the line is starting to feel itself gelling. “We want to build on the offensive success, but also not forget that we have to go hard in our D-zone.” said David Krejci. Unlike earlier games in the season, the Bruins have kept the group together for an extended period of time, and it’s seemed to work. Krejci has felt a comfort level with Nordstrom on his right wing, an area that’s been a difficult hole to fill. “I really like playing with him, he’s a really smart player,” said Krejci. “He makes plays, he’s fast. He seems to always be in the right spot, offensively, defensively. He’s been good.” Vlader gets call The Bruins recalled goalie Dan Vlader from AHL Providence to fill in as the backup while Tuukka Rask is on his leave of absence. The expectation is that Jaroslav Halak will play the second game of the weekend back-to-back against the Golden Knights, but nothing has been ruled out. “It could be Vlader,” said Cassidy. “We’ll see how Jaro feels. Danny was really good in Providence (Friday night), had a good camp. That’s a decision we’ll make later.”