Kampfer happy to help out banged-up ‘D’
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — When the Bruins traded Adam McQuaid at the start of training camp, all the attention was on the departure of the well-respected defenseman who was one of the few remaining holdovers from the Stanley Cup season of 2010-11. There was little focus on the return package. While it’s unknown what the fourth- and conditional seventh-round draft picks will bring, the B’s are getting some good use out of Steven Kampfer, the third piece of the package that came back from the Rangers. Kampfer, in his second stint in Black ’n’ Gold, has been instrumental in helping the team weather the loss of Kevan Miller and Charlie McAvoy on the right side of the defense. In the five games he played going into last night, Kampfer was even with one assist while averaging just under 15 minutes of ice time partnering with rookie Jeremy Lauzon. Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy was an assistant at AHL Providence when Kampfer came out of Michigan and has seen growth in his game. “More physical than I remember,” Cassidy said. “I think he’s thrown a big hit every night. I think his first go-round with us, he was more of a puck mover, get involved in the play. He competed but I didn’t see as much physicality. I think he’s settled into a nice role here. He moves the puck, he’s dependable.” Kampfer, who played 38 games with the Cup-winning Bruins, has enjoyed being in the lineup every night, for however long it lasts. “It’s nice. As I’ve said, you never want to see injuries. I’m just trying to come in and play solid and help these guys and hopefully we can keep winning games,” said Kampfer.
Go with your gut
Cassidy planned to start last night’s game with his top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak intact, but has the option of switching out Pastrnak to balance the offense, which he did in the win at Carolina. Cassidy was asked about when the right time is to make the switch. “That’s just gut instinct,” he coach. “You see the tide of the game getting away from you. Sometimes maybe you see Bergy’s line getting frustrated where they’re not generating, which is rare, so that’s why we don’t do it that often, because as long as they’re going we tend to stick with them.” . . . Cassidy shared his thoughts on where Ryan Donato’s game was lacking before being sent down. “Production is one. We didn’t want him to lose his offensive game, his confidence,” Cassidy said. “Secondly, we thought his board battles need to continue to get better, and as a result of those board battles, managing the puck from there. He was a little loose with it at times in the neutral zone where he just had to learn to put it in good areas or just separate quicker . . . . We thought it was a good weekend for him to go down there, with Backes coming back in the lineup.”
Backes is back
David Backes returned to the lineup after missing five games with a concussion. He was set to skate as the right winger alongside center Joakim Nordstrom and left winger Anders Bjork. While Backes said he’s not going to change his aggressive style of play, he said he has to make sure that “if someone is coming for contact, they’re hitting me in the shoulders or I’m protecting my head.”