New Bruins may jump into action
Bruins GM Don Sweeney received high marks for his big trade for Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway as he fortified his already strong defense corps and forward group, and added the nasty to both facets of their game.
Now it’s time to see it in action.
That may or may not happen when the B’s take on the Canucks in Vancouver on Saturday, but B’s coach Jim Montgomery sounded like he was anticipating just that, even though the two former Washington Capitals were not able to make it to British Columbia in time for the B’s Friday practice. And with the game starting at 4 p.m. Pacific Time, there won’t be a morning skate for the players to get acclimated to their surroundings and new teammates.
That shouldn’t matter too much, said Montgomery.
“It’s going to be a discussion (Saturday) but it’s going to ultimately be their opportunity, because I would imagine the excitement of putting on a spoked-B uniform and joining us would mean they want to play. That’ll be a conversation I have with them,” Montgomery told reporters in Vancouver on Friday. “The adrenaline of playing your first game in the a new uniform, the excitement of having closure and moving forward is something you want to do a lot of times as a player.”
If Orlov and Hathaway are amenable to playing, the B’s could have their full complement for the first time since the Winter Classic when Jake DeBrusk
was knocked out of the lineup for 17 games with hand and leg injuries. Tomas Nosek, out since Jan. 19 with a broken foot, is with the team and is a possibility for Saturday. If so, Montgomery said Hathaway could play on a fourth line with Nosek and Nick Foligno.
The placement of Orlov is more delicate, and Montgomery wasn’t tipping his hand on that potential lineup change. The B’s have had the same six defensemen dressed for a couple of months now and none of them have warranted a healthy scratch. Montgomery, meanwhile, didn’t see Orlov’s minutes coming down too much from the 22 a night he saw with Washington.
“He’s an excellent defenseman. I don’t see him playing 13, 14 minutes,” said Montgomery.
That would suggest he’s destined for the top four. Does that mean Matt Grzelcyk comes out of the lineup? Does it mean Grzelcyk drops down to a bottom pair, moves to the right side and Connor Clifton comes out? Could the puck-eating Derek Forbort use a night off?
Whatever happens, Montgomery said that whoever comes out on Saturday (if Orlov is indeed in), it will not be a permanent situation for him.
“That would be who we think would need a night off,” said Montgomery. “We have seven, eight really good defensemen. We are spoiled right now with … an embarrassment of riches. We are. We have that. There’s going to be a rotation back there. And I had a conversation with the D corps. Everyone worries, ‘how is this going to affect me?’ Well, we got this because you guys have pointed out in articles and I’ve read that we’ve had injuries the last several years in the playoffs. So we’re going to need everyone. We’re all in concert on this. This is what we’re trying to do, to give us the best opportunity come playoff time, so we’ve got to keep everybody sharp.”
As natural as those questioning thoughts may be for some of the D-men, Montgomery doesn’t see it being a problem.
“That’s not the Bruins’ culture,” said Montgomery. “That’s why we communicate about it. We talk about it. Hey, we want everybody here because you’re all going to help us win. And Orlov’s going to help us win, Hathaway’s going to help us win. We’re better suited for a deep playoff run. Hopefully we have that kind of success.”
Marchand’s wallet hit
The NHL Department of Player Safety dinged Brad Marchand with a $5,000 fine for what was termed “a dangerous trip” on Seattle’s Oliver Bjorkstrand in a third-period dust-up on Thursday. The two were locked up and Marchand used his leg to leverage Bjorkstrand to the ice. Bjorkstrand in turn grabbed Marchand’s leg and tried to take him down. Both players were tagged, oddly enough, with matching crosschecking penalties. That created an eventful 4-on-4 in which both teams scored. Jaden Schwartz put the Kraken up 5-4 before Brandon Carlo tied it up again.
Consistency key
Coaches can demand consistency of players, as Bruce Cassidy did of DeBrusk, but eventually those demands can fall on deaf ears. But when those exhortations come from fellow players — not to mention players of the stature of Marchand and Patrice Bergeron — it can find the mark more effectively. It has certainly worked for DeBrusk.
The lanky wing has been a consistent performer and producer since Cassidy put him on that line last year after he popped in a goal as a fourth liner against the Colorado Avalanche at the Garden on Feb. 21 of last last year. Since being put together, DeBrusk has 3524-59 totals in 71 games.
“For Jake, his thing, and we’ve really been on him about in the last year and a half is consistency and bringing it every night,” Marchand told reporters in Seattle after DeBrusk’s game-winner against the Kraken. “He’d have one game and then he’d have three or four where he was OK. We wanted to work with him on that. He had to be a good pro and bring it every night. We hold ourselves to a very high standard and we’re not going to let him slip. So this year he came in with a whole new mindset. From day one, he brought it and he’s been consistent. He’s been driving the line at times. That’s what we need from him. He has so much ability and talent. He’s been driving the line at times and that’s what we need out of him. He has so much talent and potential and we’re seeing that now.”
Tough goodbye
Craig Smith had a tough year, posting just 4-6—10 totals in 42 games. While he chose not to discuss his season for much of the year with reporters, he remained a friendly presence in the hallways of Warrior Ice Arena. He was also extremely popular with his teammates.
While he was trending toward being a scratch when everyone was healthy, it had to be gutting to leave a team that could be on the precipice of something special.
“It’s the tough part of the business,” said DeBrusk. “He’s a good friend of mine and he was obviously big in this locker room. I saw him a couple of times in the summertime and he’s a good friend. It’s obviously tough. I saw him before the game and there’s an emotional, human side of things. That’s the hard part. But it’s also exciting. We’re getting guys who can help our team win in different areas. It kind of set the tone for the rest of the team in understanding that this is what we’re going. We obviously knew that, but it’s a good message to send to the group. But it’s a tough day. We’ve done this six years since I’ve been and I think we’ve made a deal every trade deadline. It never gets easy.”