With their first game in 16 days since dropping the second of two games in a week, the Boston Bruins overcame a 3-1 third period deficit to grab a 4-3 overtime win at home for a crucial two points.
Charlie Coyle (East Weymouth, Mass.) took a Brad Marchand pass 30 seconds into the extra session and fired the puck over goalie Ukko Pekka Lukkonen’s glove to bring cheers raining down at the TD Garden after boos had followed the home team off the ice after the second period. Goals by Craig Smith, Nick Foligno (his first in Boston) and Taylor Hall, got Boston to the extra session, providing some important offense from secondary sources. Foligno and Hall in particular were two forwards who needed to come through for their team more than others, so when Nos. 17 and 71 tallied 1:25 apart to eras the two-goal deficit, there was a feeling that the Bruins weren’t going to lose this game.
The B’s hit the road immediately after the contest to travel to Detroit, where they will begin a week chock full of games in what will be a heavy January schedule that will test the team’s depth and mettle.
Five important developments in the first half of 2022 will likely shape and define the present and future of the Bruins organization. From the recent layoff, to a familiar face potentially back in the fold, and more potential trade options to improve the B's, the team is at a key crossroads as we step forward into the new year.
How the team’s management and players respond to some unique challenges that haven’t been an issue for Boston since Bruce Cassidy took the reins from Claude Julien in early 2017 will be harbingers for the short and long-term outlook of this franchise.
1. The Bruins must take advantage of the extended layoff
With no games in 16 days, the B’s had a unique in-season opportunity to rest and practice, saving themselves from what was going to be a grueling December, then straight into an even more challenging first month of 2022.
Instead, the team ended up with a training camp of sorts, something unprecedented for the middle of the regular season. It served as a reset and a chance for the team to break things down and practice through the bumps of what have been a bit of a rocky road.
To be clear, the 15-10-2 record isn’t terrible. However, the B’s have come up short against the better teams they’ve faced, and with a murderer’s row kind of schedule awaiting them with 55 games remaining from now until the end of April, there is no more runway for them left to figure it out. The takeoff can’t be aborted, so if the B’s are going to take their shot at being a playoff team for one more season, they can’t miss out on clear-cut chances for points. A loss to Buffalo would have been demoralizing.
The postponements of six games will be rescheduled inside a 22-day window in February, originally carved out for the Olympic games.  The COVID-19 outbreak gave the team an unanticipated breather, and allowed the group to get closer with extended practice time that pro teams don’t typically get at this stage of the season.
It started with Cassidy shaking up the line combinations, putting Smith on the right side with Marchand and Patrice Bergeron, and moving David Pastrnak to the second unit with Hall and Erik Haula getting another shot to play in the middle. The third line of Coyle, Foligno and Jake DeBrusk also paid dividends against Buffalo.
Now, the Bruins and their coaches will need to make the most of the time away from game competition and take advantage of what they learned.
2. Rask on the way?
Per a report by Ontario-based insider and friend Dominic Tiano, Tuukka Rask will be back with the Bruins this season. Rask has been in Boston for several months, at first skating at Warrior Ice Arena, then taking some shots and then eventually, practicing with the Bruins.
He's still several weeks away, and fans will need to be careful to not expect Rask to immediately return to form even if signed and delivered back to the Boston lineup before the middle portion of the month. It will take him a bit of time to adjust to the strain and demands on his surgically-repaired hip. He might even need to see some conditioning time in the AHL with Providence.
What this means for the Bruins in the short term is that they will continue with the tandem of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. Assuming Rask is back in the fold soon, the team can carry three goalies and not just default to sending Swayman down to the minors. At some point, the decision for the rookie to get more playing time and game action could lead to that, but flexibility is key here. Swayman and Ullmark have proved themselves to be a capable duo, so if Rask suffers any setbacks or needs a little more time to get into game shape, the B’s are covered as things stand now.
Another x-factor to Rask’s expected signing is that he comes into the season fresh and hungry. A half season off should mean a more mentally focused and motivated Rask.
The downside is that goaltending is the least of Boston’s issues right now. Yes, you never look a gift horse in the mouth with the return of the franchise’s all-time wins leader and the experience he brings, plus confidence he’ll inspire in the rest of the team in front of him, but he’ll require the allocation of cap dollars that the B’s could use to address shortcomings elsewhere.
All in all, getting Rask back is a very good thing for Boston, but his return won’t magically transform the Bruins into overnight contenders.
3. Secondary scoring from Taylor Hall, Charlie Coyle and Nick Foligno
It was one game, but finding the back of the net for this trio is a necessity for the Bruins to have success in the new year.
Foligno, though not signed to be a scorer, was obviously feeling the weight of having not tallied a goal in his first 18 games with Boston. His first was a memorable one, as he followed DeBrusk’s impressive speed rush to the Buffalo net, kicked the rebound of DeBrusk’s initial shot from skate to stick, then lifted a backhand over the sprawling Ukko Pekka Lukkonen to cut the Sabres’ lead to one goal early in the third period. It was a veteran move for Foligno, as a younger player might have whacked at the puck or rushed the shot, putting it right back into the netminder. Instead, Foligno’s patience and poise allowed him to get air up under his shot to finish the play.
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Hall’s equalizer just 85 seconds later was another example of a veteran goal scorer’s move. He used his speed to gain the offensive zone, and when Haula pushed young defender Casey Fitzgerald (North Reading, Mass.) out of Hall’s skating lane to the net with a savvy stick play, Hall changed the angle of his shot multiple times as he glided to the hashmarks, then rifled the puck home to tie the game.
Coyle completed the trifecta with his overtime strike, a superb example of his snap-release. He handcuffed Lukkonen on the shot, and with Coyle on pace to establish a new career high in goals with 8 in 27 games, he’s shooting the puck more and seeing results. A year ago, Coyle scored 6 in 51 games. He’s not a top 2-line NHL center, but he’s done a nice job of filling in, and gives the Bruins one of the better third-line options in the middle.
Of the three, Hall is the one who is most needed to get his goal scoring in gear. With just 6 tallies in 27 games, he’s capable of more. In fairness to Hall, he’s tended to ride the hot hand in his career, and with the strange schedule in the first few months, it has been hard for him to work into a rhythm. He will have plenty of games and opportunities to score, and after his most recent strike, the team can only hope he’ll replicate that success.
4. Defense health a must, Matt Grzelcyk, Mike Reilly, Derek Forbort keys to stabilizing blue line
With Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo a strong 1-2 presence on the right side, the left pairings for this club must stabilize and bring more consistency to the defensive side of things.
Losing Jakub Zboril to a season-ending knee injury was a blow, as he was embracing a defensive role with increased opportunity, but his offensive game was starting to come along. With Zboril out, Grzelcyk (Charlestown, Mass.), Reilly and Forbort have to pick up the slack.
This is where the recent break might end up paying off for the three defenders. Forbort looks more comfortable. He still struggles at times with the puck on his stick in his own end, and won’t ever be mistaken for a top breakout threat at the NHL level. Having said that, he showed more jam and poise on the PK against Buffalo.
Reilly isn’t a shutdown presence, and more effective with the puck on his stick moving the play up the ice. The key for him will be a continued effort to be in the right spots and for the coaching staff to create the right matchups for him. That’s easier to do at home than on the road, but Reilly’s overall play has improved since being a healthy scratch at times.
Of the three, Grzelcyk is the one who can bring the most balance between offense and defense. He caught a tough break on the Jeff Skinner goal in the second period, but with his wheels and instincts, he’s often around the play and can be a net positive by continuing to use his active stick to break up chances and transporting pucks in the transition game.
5. Trade options and scenarios continue to swirl around Jake DeBrusk, Zach Senyshyn
Foligno was asked about DeBrusk after the Buffalo game, and he talked about the fact that you can ask for a trade, but if you don’t play well, it won’t happen. He’s right, and DeBrusk’s play has improved since his desire for a change of scenery was made public last month. Of course, with just 5 goals in 26 games, he’s not going to be a hot commodity on the trade market, but he’s got some things going for him that will no doubt impress potential trade partners.
There was a rumor of a possible trade with Edmonton and Kailer Yamamoto that surfaced online this week, but the Oilers lack the cap space to take on DeBrusk, and whatever deal the Bruins make, they can’t afford to be giving up more assets to the acquiring team. Yamamoto has been on a similar downward trajectory to DeBrusk. Since being the 22ndoverall selection in 2017 and breaking in with 26 points in 27 NHL games in 2019-20 after starting the year in the AHL, his production has gone the wrong way. At 5-foot-8, 153 pounds, the Spokane, Wash. native is fast and talented, but he’s a soft skill player, and a winger to boot. It’s not a good fit.
For a more realistic trade partner, look at Arizona. GM Bill Armstrong is on a mission to rebuild the last-place team, so he will continue to sell players, but with the war chest of picks he’s built up, there’s a chance that the B’s could acquire a veteran option to help the team now while also picking up an asset to help with the future. Armstrong can’t afford to simply unload players without getting serviceable NHL roster types in return, and DeBrusk fits that bill as a young winger with upside. We’re not sure former Bruin Phil Kessel (now 34) would be the kind of worthwhile trade return, but the Coyotes have the space and assets to make things work without having to do any cap maneuvering.
Nick Schmaltz is a center who could be had and at age 25 is young enough to get his career on track. The problem is that he’s on a $5.825 per year cap hit through 2026, a difference of $2 million. Given Schmaltz’s production woes, that might be a bridge too far. Bruins Brunch also previously discussed this Coyotes defender as a possible trade target, but the cost won’t be cheap.
As for Senyshyn, he has little to no trade value by himself. He’ll be a throw-in to any deal the B’s make involving him.
DeBrusk’s improved play will make things easier for Don Sweeney to move forward, but the biggest needs are at center and defense, and unfortunately, a wing isn’t going to carry as much value in a trade. Boston’s GM might have to get creative and expand a deal to make the kind of splash that will improve the team today, and more importantly- tomorrow.
