Despite a light schedule in the first few weeks of the 2021-22 season, the Boston Bruins find their forward depth already being tested with veteran losses up front forcing Bruce Cassidy and his coaching staff to move players around the lineup.
With Nick Foligno on IR after getting knocked out of the team’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers last week, and Craig Smith not making the trip south to Florida and North Carolina, the B’s went with reinforcements in the form of Curtis Lazar and Jack Studnicka.
Facing the undefeated Florida Panthers in a 4-1 loss Wed., the Boston offense was unable to break through against Sergei Bobrovksy after taking a 1-0 lead on a Charlie Coyle goal actually scored off the stick of Panthers forward Owen Tippett. One night later, the B’s were shut out in Carolina, raising questions about the offense and where the scoring will come from in 2021-22.
Brad Marchand and Coyle have elevated their offensive production on the first and second lines, with seven of Boston’s 18 goals in seven games between them to start the season 4-3 after stopping Florida’s win streak to start the new season at eight games.
“Good opponents this week,” Cassidy said after Boston’s win. “If you want to be considered a good team, you gotta to beat good teams. I thought these games were close this week, didn’t go our way; didn’t do the right things at the right time (and) Carolina and Florida did earlier.”
Versatility key for replacement forwards
The ability to play multiple positions at forward is an important ingredient for any club.
After losing both road games, Cassidy opted for a more veteran approach at home, going with Smith on the top line Lazar on the second line with Coyle and Taylor Hall, the latter paying quick dividends.
The team bounced back against Florida at home on Halloween eve, tying the game on a Charlie McAvoy power play tally late, and then getting the winning shootout goal from Coyle.
The veteran and East Weymouth, Mass. product is off to an excellent start, with three goals and 5 points in his first seven games after just 16 points in 51 games a year ago. He's shown some instant chemistry with Hall, with 10 points between the two of them. Coyle scored the game’s first goal of the game on an absolute rocket over Panthers goalie Spencer Knight’s (Darien, Conn.) glove, and it was Lazar who made the play to keep the puck in at the offensive blue line, with Hall making the pass to Coyle for the late-period score.
Lazar, who missed the first several weeks with an elbow injury, told media he was excited and ready to go before the team departed for the road, and his NHL experience has showed in his three games this week, using his speed to forecheck aggressively, while driving wide to the outside and backing defenses up with his speed. Although he’s played center for much of his career, he earned a look on Boston’s second unit in Smith’s spot, and made an immediate contribution.
How long he can stay there remains to be seen, but with Cassidy having admitted this week that he tends to tinker with lines rather than stick with combinations that aren’t producing.
Studnicka had first crack at the situation, going into the lineup on the second line against the Panthers after playing sparingly in the previous win at home against San Jose. It all started positively in South Florida for Studnicka. He had a memorable effort play to get in deep on the forecheck, gain possession and bump the puck to his linemate. Coyle then smartly worked the puck to the front of the net, getting a nod from the Hockey Gods when it went in off of Tippett, who was backchecking hard to his own net.
Unfortunately for the B’s, that was all she wrote despite outshooting the Panthers 31-27 and only playing one solid first period, getting away from their normally disciplined game by slapping pucks around and making low percentage plays resulting in turnovers in the second and third periods.
After being shutout in Carolina a night later, Studnicka came out of the lineup, and Cassidy moved Smith up to the first line with Marchand and Patrice Bergeron, dropping David Pastrnak down to the third unit with Erik Haula and Jake DeBrusk to face the undefeated Panthers at home. Cassidy asserted that the change wasn’t due to anything Pastrnak did to get demoted, but was a reflection of the matchup and circumstances.
“We’ve seen Smith up there before,” the B’s bench boss said after the game. “The (first) line has been a little quiet or snake-bitten lately, so you try things to get more of a forechecking presence on there with (Smith) a guy that they know will go work and get picks because I thought that was the way we needed to play tonight. They’re coming off their third in four nights in three different cities, so it was important to try and wear them down.”
What Cassidy and Co. look for from their depth forwards
In order for the team to weather the storm of losing a pair of experienced forwards comprising the right side of the second and third lines, Studnicka, Lazar and Tomas Nosek will be asked to step up in their absence. The key for any NHL team’s success is having versatile pieces who can slot into mix at various spots to help offset the turbulence of losing key contributors.
Cassidy talked this week about the attributes that he looks for with individuals who can play up or down in the lineup.
“Usually hockey IQ because you’re playing with different players and moving in different spots,” Cassidy said before the team departed for Florida. “They’ve got to be able to think the game from different positions, certainly in Tomas’ case goes from center to right wing to left wing, so I think being able to stick to your own game not trying to be…some guys go to a different line and it takes them a while because they’re trying to fit in and defer and this and that instead of just playing. That’s why they go there in the first place because they’ve played well and can play well and adapt.”
Like Nosek, Studnicka is a natural center who has asked to play on the wing at times, though the B’s haven’t been thrilled with his performance there. At the same time, with enough seasoned NHLer’s still in the lineup, Cassidy could have made the safer play by putting Nosek on the second line and keeping Studnicka down on the fourth line.
“I would say hockey IQ allows you to adapt to a different role and it’s typically to me why a guy can move around,” said Cassidy. “The second part is just a guy knows what he is.”
Cassidy cited Smith as an example of doing that last year, going from playing on the third line with Coyle, all the way up to the top line with Patrice Bergeron for a time, before settling in on the second unit with David Krejci and Hall to close out the 2020-21 season. Smith’s versatility and not trying to be something he isn’t has helped him to become a trusted veteran on the Bruins, and his role as a Swiss Army knife-type of forward who can do a little bit of everything but isn’t a classic top-six player is now needed from Studnicka and the other next men up.
“You look at them as a guy that’s going to move around so he never gets to be that stud in the one spot,” said Cassidy when asked about the Swiss Army knife descriptor and if it is a positive or limiting term for a player. “But I think for the most part it’s a compliment to a player because it means he’s valued in different ways.
“I’ve used Nosek as that more than maybe a Smitty, because to me a Swiss Army knife is a guy that can move around, and play different positions, different situation maybe both special teams etc. So, he kind of fits that for us and I hope he doesn’t take it as a negative because he’s been really helpful to us and helped us win games moving around and he might be that guy all year.”
As for Cassidy, he’s already having to figure out who can best fit where in his lineup. Without the additions of players like Nosek and Haula via free agency, the challenge would be much more significant.
“For me personally as a coach, I love to have a guy like that because it can create some competition in your lineup,” he said. “If you’re not happy with a certain guy, you can move a guy over therethat can do the job. The player knows that, he’s like ‘Hey, I better get going here or this guy is going to take my minutes,’ so it’s a handy tool to have.”
Ullmark getting the job done as No. 1
After Jeremy Swayman won the home opener against Dallas, some fans immediately took to social media to declare Boston’s move to sign Ullmark to a four-year, $20 million contract in July a “bad signing.”
Six games later, Ullmark has posted wins against teams that are above .500 in Florida, Buffalo and San Jose, with a .927 save percentage and 2.23 goals-against average. His lone loss came against the high-flying Carolina Hurricanes Thursday, with no offensive support.
Starting Ullmark against the Panthers stands as proof to where the coaching staff’s confidence is in him, and he bounced back with 36 saves including stops on all three Florida shooters to secure a crucial home win.
“I try to do my best every day,” he said. “Today was certainly one of the better days I’ve had since I came here. But, like I said before, I have a lot of faith in my boys in front and they’re doing a tremendous job of helping me out. I like the group, I love the group- it makes it a lot easier, a lot more fun to go to the rink every day to battle, compete, and just have fun.”
Swayman is a real asset, and it was telling the way he came off the bench after Ullmark denied Tippett to secure the victory and embraced his goalie partner that the two support one another. Swayman will bounce back after losing his last two starts, and Ullmark will be behind him when he does.
In Ullmark, we’re seeing why the Bruins had to go out and sign a veteran presence in net with Tuukka Rask on the shelf. As good as Swayman is and will be, it would be unfair to put Boston’s season hopes on his untested shoulders. He’ll be fine, but in the meantime, Ullmark is doing his job well.
Jimmy Hayes honored at TD Garden by Bruins and Panthers
The Bruins and Florida Panthers honored the late Jimmy Hayes with a moment of silence and tribute video before the game. The teams wore a special set of warmup jerseys worn by both clubs that will be auctioned for charity.
The jerseys had the Dorchester native and Boston College star’s nicknames of “HAYESY” (Bruins) and “BROADWAY” (Panthers). The proceeds from the auction will go to a charity of the Hayes family’s choosing.
Hayes, who passed away at his home Aug. 23, played for both the Panthers and the Bruins from 2013-17, appearing in 334 NHL games overall with those teams, as well as the Chicago Blackhawks and New Jersey Devils.
His untimely death at age 31, was caused by "acute intoxication due to the combined effects of fentanyl and cocaine,” the Boston Globe reported earlier this month. The Hayes family has spoken openly since his passing in hopes of sparing others from the same pain they have experienced through their loss.
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