Bruins playing like cubs
Lack of toughness hurting
There’s no room for goon play in today’s NHL, and the Bruins don’t need to add a glorified skating bounty hunter. But Tuesday’s game in Columbus proved the B’s need “something.”
Violence begets violence and retaliation is the norm in almost all instances in hockey, for better or for worse. No one is saying the Bruins needed to run Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins, or injure Emil Bemstrom after his dangerous hit sent Tuukka Rask to the quiet room 1:12 into the game, but a more inspired, physical brand of hockey would have gotten the job done.
Tuesday’s instance wasn’t first time this season when a physical, emotional response would have — and probably should have — been warranted. During Washington’s hard-hitting approach in the waning minutes of its 7-3 loss in Boston,
Tom Wilson and T.J. Oshie each sent Bruins players to the dressing room. The lack of a physical response when up four goals isn’t nearly as egregious as the response in Columbus, though.
That might be the line in the sand between playing focused and keeping your head on straight, and not allowing your players to be pushed around.
Instances in which the Bruins have notably tried to do that are few and far between. Zdeno Chara, who recently went under the knife, fighting with a glass jaw is a good example, but that was far from doing what was best to help the team on the ice, which is ultimately what matters most.
There’s a balance, and the Bruins have leaned further and further away from balance in favor of a softer approach.
Brett Ritchie was supposed to bring some size to the lineup when the Bruins acquired him this past offseason. That failed experiment has come to a close with Ritchie going on waivers Wednesday. Chris Wagner hasn’t done much in a couple of months. Brandon Carlo is needed on the ice as one of the Bruins’ shutdown defenders. Kevan Miller played that role well, but he hasn’t played in nine months and his future is a mystery. And then?
Joakim Nordstrom isn’t likely identified as a “tough guy,” but he tried his hand at getting Bemstrom to engage. David Backes didn’t play in Columbus, and even though his likely best attribute now is his hard game, his concussion history puts him more at risk were he to get involved in those shenanigans.
Trent Frederic suddenly has a huge fanbase given the toughness he’s shown in Providence this season, and if he weren’t a left-handed forward, and primarily a center, he may have earned a look already this season. His clout has risen, and he jumped right into it with a fight last season in his first five minutes in the NHL.
He’s only 21 years old, though, so assuming a player that young is going to show up and fight his way into earning back the Bruins’ hard-to-play-against reputation is not only a lot of pressure for the young skater, but potentially dangerous.
There isn’t an easy answer, especially with limited cap and roster space, particularly especially in the bottom six. Ritchie is out, so someone has to step in, whether it’s Backes, Frederic, or someone externally that can come in and bang some bodies around.
The lack of a collective team response Tuesday night was a wakeup call, and it’s time for the Bruins to, at the very least, do more than take a punch.