Coach: Taking less penalties will help PK
Bruins drop to eighth in the NHL
The Bruins went rolling into the All-Star break on a high, boasting a 12-2-3 record since the short Christmas break.
But if there is one aspect of their game that has been slipping, it has been the area that has usual been a strength — the penalty kill.
After spending much of the first half at the top of the league in the PK department, the club’s recent struggles had dropped them down to eighth overall at 82.8%. In the last 20 games, they’ve given up at least one power-play goal in 13 games.
Maybe that’s not a reason to panic just yet, especially when you consider Derek Forbort, one of their top penalty-killing defensemen, has missed a big chunk of time and fellow PK minutes-muncher Brandon Carlo also missed a shorter time recently.
Still, it’s an area that needs some attention to detail.
“There’s little things within what we’ve been doing and kind of gotten away from,” said Charlie Coyle, who leads B’s forwards in shorthanded ice time (2:46 per game). “I think a big one is hesitation sometimes can kill you, whether we’re second-guessing things or what. We’re playing against some pretty good power plays and they’re going to score. It’s going to happen. But I think we’ve got to keep working and being on the same page. If one guy’s hesitating, then the other guy’s hesitating and then you’re all in the same boat.
“I think just more talk.
We’ve been doing that the last little bit. As we see it slip a little, we take pride in our penalty kill and we’re usually pretty good at it. But there are going to be times when it’s not going to go our way,” he said. “And those are the learning curves and stuff you’ve got to get better at it. So it’s just the talk and I think delete the hesitation. Just one guy goes, then the other guy goes and we’re reading off each other and we get more kills. But staying out the box is the best penalty killer there. I think we’ve got to do that more, especially stick penalties and stuff that’s not necessary. It’s only going to dampen our 5-on-5 game when other guys are sitting. But if there’s an opportunity to kill a penalty, we want to do it and take pride in that. But there’s got to be more talk, less hesitation and (more) reading off each other.”
Coach Jim Montgomery has harped on the B’s penchant for taking penalties all season, and for good reason. Going into Tuesday’s game against the Calgary Flames, the B’s have taken 196 minors, third in the league behind the Florida Panthers (208) and the Anaheim Ducks (231).
It’s a matter of tempting fate too often, said Montgomery.
“I think it’s been a little bit of execution but I think it’s more the number of penalties we take,” said Montgomery. “We need to cut down on our penalties. I think the Ottawa game (the second to last game before the break) is the perfect example. We killed off the first four and then you give up the last two. The same guys keep going out and the power play is going to adjust. You give them six opportunities and they’re going to adjust. They’re NHL players and they’re NHL coaching staffs making adjustments. So we need to cut down on our penalties. And having Carlo and Forbort back and not being rusty while everyone else is sharp, I think is going to put us a real good (position). I’m not worried about our penalty kill at all.”
Poitras nears return
Matt Poitras, who missed the last game before the break because of a shoulder injury, did not take part in the morning skate because he had a follow-up doctor’s appointment. Poitras had practiced on Sunday and Monday in a regular contact jersey but he was not available for the game against the Flames.
Both his ice time and production have waned since the 19-year-old rookie first made the team out of training camp, but Montgomery looks at the stretch run for him to regain the spark he had at the start of the season.
“I think it’s part of his progression to keep growing. That’s the way we view it,” said Montgomery. “We believe he’s a huge part of what we’re going to do. His competitiveness and his hockey sense are just two traits that jump out at you and that’ what makes him such an exciting hockey player for us.”
While he used Poitras on the fourth line lately, Montgomery said he hopes to get him in more offensive situations like he was earlier in the season.
There is one more marker on the contractual calendar for Poitras, who has played 33 games. When he hits 40 games, that means he’ll be eligible for free agency at the age of 26 instead of 27. But it doesn’t sound like there’s been much internal debate about whether or not he’ll return to his junior team so the team could push out the UFA age another year.
“I don’t think that has even come up,” said Montgomery.
Loose puck
Forbort and Jake DeBrusk, who both missed the previous game in Philly, got the green light to play against Calgary. Jeremy Swayman, fresh off his All-Star appearance, was tabbed as the starter against Jacob Markstrom.