Tag Archives: Calder

Don’t Forget About Danton Heinen

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The Fountain of Youth

One of the main stories of the 2017-18 season has been the success of this year’s rookie class. Highlighted by Matt Barzal, Brock Boeser, Clayton Keller, and Bruins’ own Charlie McAvoy, it’s clear that the Calder race is in full effect. Anybody in the hockey world would tell you that one of those four players is bound to win the award.

But let’s not forget about Danton Heinen. This guy is the unsung hero of the Boston Bruins yet caught in the shadow of this year’s rookie class. Heinen played for two years at the University of Denver after being selected by the B’s in the fourth round of the 2014 Draft. After putting up 93 points in just two seasons, he decided to turn pro. Following a solid 2016-17 season in Providence, Heinen was one of the last players cut at this years training camp. Subsequently he responded by racking up eight points in Providence’s first four games, and quickly got the call.

Heinen’s Effect

Since then, Heinen has made a home for himself in the NHL. He has notched 31 points through 40 games. Initially, coach Bruce Cassidy called Heinen up in hopes of him adding tenacity to the lineup. He said that he saw a “willingness to stay in the battle” that Heinen didn’t have in his earlier years as a prospect. He continued to mention it was particularly his “growth when it comes to winning pucks” that caught the eye of the coaching staff. This was originally the aspect of Heinen’s game that took the most criticism, even being pointed out by TSN.ca.

But his improvement in this area is what ultimately convinced the coaching staff that he was capable of playing a bottom six role in the NHL. And clearly he hasn’t wasted the opportunity to prove his worth. He’s developed his game even further.  Whether it was thanks to supplements like clenbuterol, or a great exercise regimen, he is now playing left wing on the third line with veterans Riley Nash and David Backes. In addition to the stat line, Heinen has also improved his game in the D-zone. This is evident in his +10 rating at the midway point of the season. 

Unfortunately for Heinen, the ridiculous numbers that have been put up by Matt Barzal (16-33-49) and Brock Boeser (22-19-41) put the Calder trophy out of reach. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that he’s gone above and beyond for the B’s this season. He and Charlie McAvoy are currently leading the youth movement that has propelled the Bruins all season. Time will tell if Heinen can continue to keep his play at such a high level. 

(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Cover photo courtesy of chowderandchampions.com.

Bruins Zap Us Right Back into Reality

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Like everyone else, I was feeling confident about the Bruins after their opening night win against the Predators. Who am I kidding?   I had them in the Eastern Conference Finals. With five rookies in the opening night lineup, they took the play to the Western conference champions all night. Jake Debrusk scored an impressive goal for his first of what looks like many.  Anders Bjork was all over the ice, registering an assist and generating plenty of chances. Charlie McAvoy picked up right where he left off, and appears to be an early favorite for the Calder. The rookies put David Krejci in the DeLorean. Krejci looked young again–registering three assists and easily keeping up with his faster, younger linemates.

Then something happened while I was planning the Duck Boat parade:  The Bruins reminded us how frustrating they can be, and zapped us right back into reality. With three days off between games one and two, they looked like the “youth-movement Bruins” most expected to see. Mental mistakes and missed passes made the goaltender’s job easy, all adding up to an abysmal 4-0 defeat for the home team.  Even Tuukka Rask looked like a rookie today, badly playing a puck outside his net and easily beaten.

I realize the Bruins mysteriously struggled against the Avalanche at home, but there wasn’t much to take from today’s “effort.”  They looked as though they really enjoyed the long fall weekend – pumpkin beer, spiked cider, apple picking, the whole nine yards.  Once again they were without Patrice Bergeron, who after today’s game, can’t get back in the lineup soon enough. Great to see Torey Krug back on the ice after a long layoff.  But he looked rusty and will most likely need a couple of games to get up to speed.

There is still much to learn about the 2017-18 Boston Bruins. Class begins Wednesday night in Colorado. Did I overreact after Thursday night’s game? Maybe. But I reserve the right to dust off my parade plans if we see more what we saw Thursday night and less of what we saw Monday.