Van Riemsdyk reaches 1,000
And the grand celebrations continue on.
James van Riemsdyk played in his 1,000th game Tuesday night, becoming the second Bruin this season (along with captain Brad Marchand) to reach the career milestone.
“Feels a little surreal to be honest,” van Riemsdyk said before the Bruins lost, 2-1, in overtime to the Oilers at TD Garden. “You don’t really realize the significance of it until you get in the league . . . . Moments like this are kind of cool to share with your support system that help you make it to over a long time. Obviously, there are a lot of ups and downs, and you feel lucky to get the support you have from your family, friends, and the people closest to you.”
The 34-year-old van Riemsdyk is the 10th NHLer this season to hit 1,000 games, joining Marchand, Ryan O’Reilly (Predators), Kyle Okposo (Sabres), Cal Clutterbuck (Islanders), Victor Hedman (Lightning), Matt Duchene
(Stars), Marc-Andre Fleury
(Wild), Lars Eller (Penguins), and
Alex Pietrangelo (Golden
Knights).
The Bruins will formally honor van Riemsdyk for the accomplishment March 16 before a game against the Flyers, the franchise that drafted him second overall in 2007. He spent his first three seasons in Philadelphia, then returned for a five-year run sandwiched around six seasons with the Maple Leafs.
“A lot of history there. Came into the league with them, got drafted by them, spent a lot of years, a lot of games there,” van Riemsdyk said.
“Was there through two different, very different phases of my life when I was very young and then older and then having a family and things like that. So yeah, that’s definitely something that’ll make it even a little bit more special.”
A former standout at the University of New Hampshire, van Riemsdyk returned to New England in July when he signed a one-year, $1 million free agent deal with the Bruins.
The winger entered Tuesday’s game with 311 goals and 629 points for his career, including 11 goals and 38 points in 59 games this season.
Van Riemsdyk has played up and down the lineup for Bruins coach Jim Montgomery and has seen significant time on the power play, scoring 6 goals and 12 points on the man advantage.
“Incredibly bright person and bright player,” said Montgomery when asked what he’s seen from van Riemsdyk in his season with the Bruins. “He understands the game at a high level and has done a lot to help build our offensive game especially.”
Rumor central
The Bruins could be in the running for center Elias Lindholm, who was traded from the Flames to the Canucks just before the All-Star Game, according to a report from The Athletic.
The report said Vancouver is looking to land Pittsburgh’s Jake Guentzel in the next 24 hours and would try to flip Lindholm to Boston to facilitate the deal. The Canucks recently signed their top center, Elias Pettersson ,toan eight-year, $92.8 million deal.
Lindholm, 29, has 4 goals and 6 points in 14 games with the Canucks. He is in the final year of a deal that pays him $4.85 million, so the Bruins would need to move a player to make the money work on their end.
Lindholm nears return
Defenseman Hampus Lindholm is moving closer to a return to action after suffering a knee injury in the Presidents Day matinee win over the Stars.
“Hampus is doing really well,” Montgomery said. “I don’t have an official game time when he’ll be back, but it’s getting close.”
Pasta dishes
David Pastrnak dished out three assists in Monday’s win in Toronto, as he continues to be among the biggest thorns in the Maple Leafs’ side.
In 27 career games against Toronto, Pastrnak has 18 goals and 35 points, a 1.30 points per game average. Only Phil Esposito (1.49) and Jean Ratelle (1.47) had better averages against the Maple Leafs.
Pastrnak also hit the 90-point plateau for the season (38 goals, 52 assists), becoming the eighth Bruin to hit that mark in consecutive campaigns, joining some elite Black and Gold company: Esposito (seven times); Bobby Orr (six); Rick Middleton (five), Barry Pederson (three), and Adam Oates, Cam Neely, and Ratelle (two each).
Heads-up display
Van Riemsdyk went helmetless for warm-ups for the first time this season, while Pastrnak, in perhaps a tip of the cap to JVR, switched it up and donned a helmet during the pregame for the first time this season . . . The Bruins’ defensive corps remained the same from Monday, with Derek Forbort taking a seat for the second straight game . . . Scouts from the Rangers and Lightning were in attendance . . . Sign of the night (in all red caps): “FREDERIC.” Sometimes simple is better . . . Song of the night: “Zoo Station,” by U2.