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Boston Bruins

GAME 2-STANLEY CUP FINALS| Boston Bruins vs St. Louis Blues

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After a wild comeback that included a very angry Torey Krug, the Boston Bruins took Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals and defeated the St. Louis Blues 3-2.  Despite the slow start that saw the Bruins looking a bit rusty after an 11-day layoff, they quickly found their legs and dominated the rest of the game. Tonight, Boston will be looking to keep the momentum going as they face a St. Louis team who will no doubt come out looking to take at least one game at the TD Garden.

Boston Bruins
(Photo Credits: AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

EVERY LINE COUNTS

Monday night’s game saw great plays from all lines, with contributions from the back end to the first line.  With the Bruins down 2-0, both defensemen Connor Clifton and Charlie McAvoy got Boston on board, tying up the game. Blue-liner Sean Kuraly once again notched the winning goal that moved the Bruins ahead of the Blues. Brad Marchand placed the final nail on the coffin when he scored an empty netter, making the final score 4-2.

PUSHBACK

Expect continued strong shifts from all Bruins lines tonight, and a more ready Blues team, who undoubtedly will make adjustments to their game. Boston held practice yesterday and will hold an optional pregame skate this morning. For St. Louis, Jordan Binnington will most likely get the start in net. The rookie goaltender made 34 saves, and understandably looked less than happy with the goals that squeaked by him. Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask made 18 saves, and now has .940 save percentage in the post season, with a 1.85 goals against average.

Boston Bruins
(Photo Credits: AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Players to watch: Brayden Schen and Vladimir Tarasenko.  Blues Coach Craig Berube stated Robert Thomas will sit out for tonight’s game. Thomas was famously hit by Torey Krug in a shot heard around the hockey world. St. Louis has been in this position before when they faced the San Jose Sharks, dropping Game One to battle back to win the Western Conference. The Bruins will continue to play a fast and more physical game as they look to once again get through the Blues big defense.

LOOKING AHEAD

“We knew what our best game looks like and we’re confident we can win. We know the first one wasn’t what we wanted and we’re going to respond and tie the series up. That’s our plan and we’re just going to keep taking it one day at a time.”

Blues Forward Ryan O’Reilly

“We weren’t too happy with the way the game was going….weren’t playing our game and I think after the second goal, our guys, that kind of woke us up. We needed something good to happen and it did.”

Bruins Coach Bruce Cassidy

WHEN TO WATCH:  Tonight with puck drop just after 8:00 pm, TD Garden, Boston

WHERE TO WATCH: NBCSN

Follow me on Twitter @pastagrl88

mid season

State Of The Bruins At Mid Season

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So far this season has been up and down for the Bruins. They have battled a tremendous amount of adversity and most recently lost Tuukka Rask to a concussion. Despite the injuries, they would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. With the first half of the season over, the Bruins are in a good position as they make their playoff push. They still have to improve offensively, but there were many positives to take from the first half.

Due to numerous injuries, the Bruins depth has been tested. As a result, their young players have been forced to replace key pieces such as Charlie McAvoy. One player in particular who has stepped up is Matt Grzyelcyk. The BU product has excelled in multiple roles for the Bruins, and already tied a career-high with 12 assists. In a blueline that has dealt with numerous injuries, he has only missed three games. Grzelcyk, however, is not the only defenseman that has shined.

Mid season
Photo Credit: Maddie Meyer/ Getty Images

Youth And Veterans Stepping Up

Just like last season, the Bruins have relied on their youth. So far this season both Connor Clifton and Jeremy Lauzon have made their NHL debuts. They both played significant minutes during their brief call-ups and surpassed all expectations. The young defenseman showed that they could handle a top-six role in the NHL. With the trade deadline looming they could be interesting trade chips or key pieces to the Bruins future.

While the Bruins young players have excelled, so have the veterans. David Krejci has appeared to have found the fountain of youth. In 49 games he already has 40 points, after recording just 44 last season. He is on pace to surpass forty assists for the first time since 2015-2016. He has carried this team at times when scoring has been scarce. Despite Krejci’s efforts, and the Bruins top lines’ dominance, the Bruins offensive struggles must be addressed in the second half.

This season the Bruins scoring issues can be linked to multiple sophomore slumps. After recording 47 points last season Danton Heinen, has only 13 in the first half. Anders Bjork was supposed to be a key contributor and now is out for the rest of the season. As a result, the Bruins have had to rely on players such as Colby Cave who failed to spark the offense. They do however have many options in the trade market.

Due to their offensive struggles, the Bruins have been popular in the rumor mill. Some players they have been linked to are Wayne Simmonds, Charlie Coyle, and Brayden Schenn. If the Bruins are to make a deep playoff run, improving the offense will be key. They already have a deep defensive core and a rising superstar in David Pastrnak. Their goalie tandem has also been better than many expected.

With one half in the books, the Bruins have reasons to be hopeful in the second half. If they can improve the offense, then this team could be dangerous in the playoffs. They have the depth to make a move, and their scouts have been busy. They will look to start the second half in dominant style next Tuesday against Winnipeg.

Cassidy

Cassidy Deserving Of Jack Adams Consideration

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Last season Bruce Cassidy was nearly named the best coach in the NHL.  He took over a Bruins team that was dead in the water in early February of 2017, and lead them to a playoff appearance.  He followed that up with a 100 point season and a second-round playoff appearance in his first full season at the helm.  This season, Cassidy’s skills have been tested as this team has yet to form an identity.  The Bruins have struggled to receive secondary scoring, but are still in a wildcard spot.  Cassidy has done well keeping this team competitive in the face of tremendous adversity.

They have already lost Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, and Charlie McAvoy for long stretches this season. Despite all the injuries, the Bruins are still on their way to a third consecutive playoff appearance.  It has been a season full of ups and downs, but this team has still found ways to win.  Under Cassidy, the Bruins young players have stepped up when needed most.

Cassidy

Photo Credit: John Tlumacki/ Globe Staff

Cassidy’s Impact On The Youth

This season the Bruins have already seen the NHL debuts of Connor Clifton, Jeremy Lauzon, and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson.  They have all given the Bruins solid minutes over the last month, as injuries pile up. Cassidy has kept things simple and not placed high expectations on his rookies.  He has put them in positions to succeed and rewarded their hard work.  His coaching style has positively affected the Bruins younger players, and their goaltenders as well.

With the addition of Jaroslav Halak, the Bruins have one of the best goalie tandems in the NHL.  Halak has thrived in his first season in Boston, after struggling last season with the Islanders.  He had the worst defensive group in front of him in New York, which has not been the case in Boston.  Cassidy’s system suits Halak, as it keeps everything in front of the goaltender.  What was seen as a low-risk signing has turned into one of this team’s best free-agent pickups.

Cassidy

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Under Cassidy, Tuukka Rask has played his best hockey in recent years.  Last season the Bruins goaltender finished with a .917 save percentage, which was skewed due to a rough first month of the season.  That has been the same case this season, as Rask has recovered from a slow start to be considerably better over the last month.  Cassidy’s system puts his goaltenders in the best positions to succeed, and as a result they have thrived.

Can Cassidy Repeat Last Seasons Success

In what has been a season full of highs and lows, the Bruins have been dominant of late.  In their last two games, they have outscored their opponents 7-1.  That is particularly impressive, considering both Montreal and Anaheim would be in the playoffs if the season ended today.  With Bergeron set to return within the next week, the team will only get better.  Despite all the challenges the team has faced, they are well on their way to another playoff appearance.  There is still a lot of hockey to be played, but Cassidy has again shown why he is one of the best in the league, as he has kept an injury-riddled roster in the playoff mix.

Connor Clifton

Providence Bruins- Getting to Know Connor Clifton

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In the leading months the NHL regular season, the Bruins have been positioning themselves into becoming a dominant force in 2018. And to become a contender, you have to not only look at your current roster, but also develop your AHL prospects. In a league where every player is competing for a spot in the big leagues, how do you make a big enough impact for the NHL to take notice? For New Jersey native Connor Clifton, making that impact has been an improving steady climb.

BACKGROUND

Connor Clifton

The 23-year-old defenseman recently played for the Quinnipiac University Bobcats. Drafted in 2013 by the Arizona Coyotes, Clifton wasn’t able to make much of an impact and ultimately parted ways with the team. The Bruins quickly signed him in 2017, and he’s played in Providence since then. He continues to improve steadily, so much so that the Bruins recently signed him to a two-year NHL deal worth $725,000 per year.

Prior to signing with the Bruins, he joined the U.S. National Development Team in 2011.  He was later invited back to the team where he played alongside Frank Vatrano and Anders Bjork. He was also teammates with a young Jack Eichel and Dylan Larkin.

BOBCATS

In 2013, Clifton attended Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, where he played alongside his brother, Tim. During his freshman year, he posted five goals with four assists in 36 games. The 43rd captain in Bobcats history played in 43 games and potted seven goals and 21 assists. During Quinnipiac’s run in the 2016 NCAA Frozen Four playoffs, Clifton nicely showed his defensive presence as he laid out North Dakota forward Austin Pogorski in a clean shoulder to shoulder hit:

https://vine.co/v/iTqe2vFu5jv

That year was he received ECAC Hockey All-Tournament Team honors and was awarded Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. He was also named to the 2016 NCAA East All-Frozen Four Team and named Quinnipiac’s Male Athlete of the Month. He ended his college career totaling 19 goals, 37 assists and 56 points in 156 NCAA games. Bobcats’ head coach Rand Pecknold had this to say about Clifton:

“Connor was the heart and soul of our team. His character and commitment to excellence is outstanding. We wish him all the best as he moves forward with his professional career.”

PROVIDENCE

In his first year with Providence, Clifton played in 54 games with four goals and nine assists and had a  +11 plus/minus rating. On Dec 9th, 2017 the young defenseman scored his first professional NHL goal:

Clifton ended the last 26 games left in the season with ten points and a +11 rating. Could he make an appearance in the NHL this season? There’s lots of competition with the likes of recently signed Urho Vaakanainen, Jakub Zboril, and Jeremy Lauzon. For someone like Connor, he’ll have to continue to make a name for himself down in Providence. With his rugged defensive playing skills, Clifton will no doubt be a player to watch out for.