Tag Archives: David Backes

Keeping Veterans Healthy Will Be Key for Bruins

The Boston Bruins are coming off one of their most successful regular seasons in recent memory. What made them so good was how well their young players such as Charlie McAvoy and Jake DeBrusk performed. Their veteran players also performed well and were mentors to the Bruins younger players. Next season veterans such as Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, and Zdeno Chara will be counted on again. Keeping them healthy will be key as all three missed time last season. There are no guarantees over the course of a full season as injuries are part of the game but the Bruins will try their best.

Injured Veterans Last Season

During the 2017-2018 season, Bergeron, Chara, Backes, and Krejci all missed at least nine games. Marchand also missed significant time which was partly due to suspensions. Of that group, Bergeron was the only one to begin the 2017-2018 campaign injured. This season he will start camp healthy which is key at his age. In only 64 regular season games last year he still managed to record 63 points. Before last season he averaged 80 games a year and starting the season healthy should help him return to that number. He is still one of the best centers in the NHL and affects the game in more ways than one when healthy.

Zdeno Chara- Chara is the oldest player on the Bruins roster. Last year he still managed to be the Bruins best defenseman despite his age. The Bruins were able to limit his minutes which kept him fresh. Having Charlie McAvoy as his partner again will also take some pressure off the Bruins captain. Last year he appeared in 73 games his lowest total since the 2014-2015 season. Keeping Chara healthy is not a priority just because of what he does on the ice but also for mentoring the Bruins next wave of talent. He has not only been a mentor for Charlie McAvoy but other Bruins defensemen such as Brandon Carlo and Matt Gryzelcyk. The Bruins will again look to limit their captains minutes when they can as he is not easy to replace.

Photo Credit: Ann-Marie Sorvin- US PressWire

Injury Prone

David Backes- Last season Backes appeared in 57 games his lowest total since the 2012-2013 season. Since signing in Boston he has been a disappointment given that he is making 6 million a year. Last season injuries didn’t make things better especially since some were just bad luck. In order for Backes to bounce back, he will have to stay healthy. Before signing in Boston he was averaging 50 points a season. Returning to those numbers would improve the Bruins depth and in particular their third line.

Photo Credit: James Guillory- USA Today Sports

David Krejci- Last season Krejci appeared in 64 games and only recorded 44 points. He meshed well with Jake DeBrusk on the Bruins second line. When Krejci is healthy he has the ability to be the Bruins second best center. He is not a thirty goal scorer but has great vision and has had over 40 assists four times in his NHL career. His health was the main reason for his drop off in production. He has been involved heavily in trade rumors this offseason due to his contract. Keeping him healthy is key for the Bruins second line and like Backes, he will be looking to bounce back this season.

Final Thoughts On The Bruins Veterans

Staying healthy is not easy for any player and in particular veteran players. The Bruins well need their veteran players to build on what they accomplished last season. They affect the game in different ways and have their own unique impact. If they can stay healthy then building off last season’s success should not be difficult for this team.

Bruins Fall To Preds Despite a Big Third Period

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The Bruins fell to the red-hot Nashville Predators on Monday night despite a big third-period push.

Tough Start

The Bruins were back in action on Monday night in Nashville where they fell to the Predators 5-3. The Predators scored the first goal of the game just 1:26 seconds into the contest, then again late in the first to lead 2-0. The Predators scored two more in the second period to go up 4-0. The Bruins struck back in the second with a power-play goal coming off a perfect shot from Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins trailed 4-1 after two periods. In the third the Bruins came out strong, and it paid off. Captain Zdeno Chara scored for the Bruins to get his team within two.

Then, just over a minute later, David Pastrnak Scored to make it 4-3 and a brand new game. Bruins fans had hope. Then less than a minute after Pasta’s marker, Predators forward Filip Forsberg scored on a breakaway to make it 5-3. The Bruins showed up to little to late in this one.

Goaltending Situation

Bruins goalie Anton Khudobin started the game but was lit up early. Dobby gave up four goals on 14 shots. It appears the red-hot Khudobin could riding the pine after this one. Tuukka Rask came into the cage after the Predators fourth goal. Rask only faced 11 shots and made 10 saves. The Bruins should run with Rask at this point. He’s beaten the best team in the league in Tampa Bay, and recorded a shutout against the Flyers in recent days. Rask looks like the Rask of old, the one all Bruins fans love. Winning games, making big saves, and playing with confidence. Exactly why the Bruins need to roll with Rask from now on.

Comments

”Digging yourself a 4-0 deficit is certainly not a good recipe for winning games. The second half of the game was much better, but it was too little, too late. We need to start on time” said Bruins forward David Backes. Marchand also had some comments on the game. “The Predators are pretty deep, they play hard, but they didn’t really deserve a lot. We just kind of gave it to them. It’s tough to lose like that. We did a good job of pushing back and making it a game, but we need wins.”

Bruins Need Secondary Scoring

The Bruins top line, McAvoy, Chara and Pastranak, scored all three goals. If the Bruins want to win hockey games, it will take more than one line to score all the goals. The Bruins need players like Krejci, Backes, Spooner, and Anders Bjork to contribute on the score sheet on a regular basis. Bruins rookie Danton Heinen has quietly put up points, proving that he can contribute on offense. Heinen picked up an assist on McAvoy’s power play goal in the second, giving him nine assists on the year for a total of 14 points.

Home Stand

The Bruins will play five of their next six games at home, starting Thursday against the Coyotes, then Saturday against the Islanders. After that, they travel to Detroit for a Wednesday face off, then again at home Thursday against the Capitals. Then the Bruins will close out their home stand with games against the Rangers and Blue Jackets.

Healthy Bruins Look Dangerous

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Healthy Bruins

The Bruins are fully healthy, and look dominant! In their last 10 games, the Bruins scorecard stands at 6-3-1. In their last six, 5-1-0.

Injuries

The Bruins welcomed David Backes, Ryan Spooner, David Krejci, Brad Marchand and Anders Bjork back to the lineup last week. Even with the Bruins finally healthy, they still don’t have key players Jake DeBrusk (upper body), and Adam McQuaid (broken leg). McQuaid has recently started skating again, which is a great sign. However, DeBrusk remains on IR with an upper body injury. When the Bruins get Quaider and DeBrusk back, I believe they will have an excellent season, and possibly a playoff run.

Recent Games

In recent games, they have beaten the reigning Stanley Cup Champions 4-3, and the leagues top team, Tampa Bay Lightning, 3-2. The most recent win for the Bruins took place in Saturday’s matinee game in Philadelphia, with a 3-0 win. The Bruins are back in action tonight in Nashville, where they take on the Predators at 8:00 PM ET.

Goaltenders

Bruins number one goalie, Tuukka Rask, appears to be returning to form. Rask has posted back to back wins against the Bolts, and the Flyers. Against the Flyers, Rask stopped all 28 shots he faced, to earn his first shutout of the season. Bruins backup, Anton Khudobin, has also been stellar this season. He holds a record of 7-0-2, with a 2.22 GAA. This is the 4th best in the league among goaltenders. Dobby also holds a solid 0.932 SV%, which is tied for 2nd in the league with Vasilevskiy of the Lighting. With Rask winning his last 2 games, I would have thought the Bruins would roll with him against Nashville. However, it appears that Khudobin is confirmed to start in goal for the B’s Monday. This is still a good decision, based on how good he’s been so far this season.

Standings

The Bruins are currently 1 point behind the Montreal Canadians for the 3rd spot in the Atlantic division. They have four games in hand on the Habs, should easily win some of those games, and surpass the Canadians. The Bruins are 7 point behind the Toronto Maple Leafs, and also have four games in hand on them. If the Bruins can keep winning like they have recently, I see no issue with them making the postseason for the second time in as many years.

The Road Ahead

The road ahead for the Bruins is going to be tough. The Bruins play the Preds tonight. They will get another two day break, they have a had a lot of those this season. They are back in action Thursday, in Boston, where the face the Arizona Coyotes. After that, the Bruins play the red hot New York Islanders, who are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games. Then off for three nights, they then play the Red Wings next Wednesday, and Capitals the very next night. It’s not going to be easy for the Bruins, but if they can continue to stay healthy, they will be fine.

Bruins Slowly Getting Healthy

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The Bruins are off to an average start this season despite being decimated with injuries. They hold a record of 9-7-4 for a total of 20 points. They’ve been without Bergeron, Krejci, Spooner, Backes, Marchand, McQuaid, Krug, Bjork, and Tuukka Rask at some point this season. Bergeron, Krejci, and Rask have all returned to the lineup full time.

Reinforcements on the Way

With some key players still missing from the lineup it looks like the Bruins are going to get a boost to their lineup very soon. Ryan Spooner, David Backes, Torey Krug, and Brad Marchand all practiced Tuesday. Spooner was a full participant in the practice while Backes, Marchand, and Krug all wore non-contact jerseys. With Spooner being a full participant in practice, the Bruins could see Spooner back in the lineup as early as Wednesday against the New Jersey Devils. If Spooner isn’t ready to go Wednesday he will get another chance in Friday’s afternoon tilt with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Brad Marchand took some light contact during practice but it still appears he wont be ready to go tomorrow. Krug and Bjork are also both out for Wednesday’s game.

Transactions

The Bruins also recalled defenseman Matt Grzelcyk from Providence on Tuesday. So it looks like he man suit up for the Bruins maybe instead of Postma or O’Gara.

Scary When Healthy

I think when the Bruins get all these key players back they will be a force to be reckoned with. The lineup looks pretty deep down the middle and also pretty solid on the wing.

Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak

Heinen-Krejci-Backes

DeBrusk-Spooner-Bjork

Beleskey-Nash-Accari

As you probably notice these probably wont be the exact forward line we will see when healthy. However I think this third line of DeBrusk, Spooner, and Bjork would be a killer third line and a very fast one as well. You also notice that I have Heinen on the second forward line. Heinen has put up 4 goals and 6 assists for a total of 10 points in 15 games. Heinen is on pace for 55 points this season and has proven that he deserves to be here. I think if he plays alongside some more skilled players like Krejci and Backes, he will score more and become a great player in the NHL.

Chara-McAvoy

Krug-Carlo

Miller-McQuaid

Rask

Khudobin

With the goalie controversy heating up, I think the Bruins need to ride Khudobin until he loses. He hasn’t yet lost a game in regulation. He holds an impressive record of 5-0-2 with a GAA of 2.17 and a SV% of .935. With Rask really struggling so far this season I believe it’s time to let Khudobin play a few more games. By doing this maybe Rask will realize he’s got to be better and will start performing better.

The Road Ahead

The Bruins have a tough schedule ahead facing a red hot New Jersey Devils team, the defending cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, Connor McDavid and the Oilers. The Bruins need to continue playing how they have been through all these injuries for the time being.

Time For Bruins To Move On From Matt Beleskey?

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The Bruins have a record of 5-3-3, just 11 games into the season. The team, decimated with injuries, is in need of some secondary scoring. One forward who has struggled ever since arriving in Beantown, is Matt Beleskey.

Beleskey Stats

Matt Beleskey was a good player for the Anaheim Ducks, but hasn’t carried that with him to Boston. Beleskey played for the Ducks for seven seasons. In one of those seasons, he only played two games. During his time with the Ducks, he posted 57 goals and 55 assists, for a total of 112 points in 329 games. Not too bad if you ask me. In Beleskey’s first season with the Bruins, he had a good year. He posted 15 goals, and 22 assists for 37 points in 80 games.

Since that season, it has been downhill for Beleskey. Last season, Beleskey only scored 3 goals, and 5 assists, for a total of 8 points in 49 games. This year, Beleskey has only played in 7 of the Bruins 11 games, and has failed to register a point.

Time to let him go?

Is it time for the Bruins to give up on Matt Beleskey? My answer is YES. I think the Bruins have plenty of young guys that deserve a shot with the big club. Beleskey has been given multiple opportunities to prove himself, and he can’t seem to do anything offensively. The Bruins have many wingers down in Providence that deserve a chance at Beleskey’s roster spot. Some of the young left wingers, who I think could take over his spot, are Jesse Gabrielle, Kenny Agostino, and Peter Cehlarik. These players are all left wingers like Beleskey, and I believe they have the potential to be better.

Bad Trades

Some bad trades have happened over the years, and are hard to wrap your head around. One trade was Reilly Smith for Jimmy Hayes. A few years ago, the Bruins traded right winger Smith to the Florida Panthers, in return for Jimmy Hayes. At first the trade looked pretty impressive. That year in Florida, Hayes had 19 goals and 16 assist for 35 points. In Boston that year, Smith had 13 goals and 27 assists for 40 points. The Bruins also got rid of Marc Savard’s big contract in the trade.

It looked good at first. Like Beleskey, Hayes had a decent first year with the Bruins, scoring 13 goals and 16 helpers, for a total of 29 points through 75 games. But, like Beleskey, the year after went horribly for Hayes. He only suited up in 58 games, and scored only 2 goals and 3 assists, for a grand total of 5 points. Hayes has 4 points in 10 games, 3 goals and 1 assist, this year for the New Jersey Devils. He should easily top last years totals being that the NHL season is just beginning. I’d rather have Smith over Hayes today in a heartbeat.

More bad Trades

Another trade that has Bruins fans shaking their heads, is Johnny Boychuk to the New York Islanders, for two second round picks and a conditional third rounder. Even though Boychuk is out of his prime now, the Bruins could have used him these past few years. Their defensive play has been shaky. Another horrible trade was Tyler Seguin, Rich Peverley, and Ryan Button to the Dallas Stars, for Loui Eriksson, Reilly Smith, Matt Fraser, and Joe Morrow. The Bruins have absolutely nothing to show for this trade today, all the players are gone.

The Bruins need to stick by their prospects

Boston needs to stick with their core players, and stop making bad signings and bad trades. They have youngsters Charlie MvAvoy, Anders Bjork, Jake DeBrusk, Brandon Carlo, and David Pastrnak, who are going to be the Bruins future. With some of their core guys like Bergeron, Backes, Krejci, and Chara getting up in age, the Bruins need to keep their young players, rather than trading them off for players that are good now. The young players will develop, and win when they are ready. The management has to be patient. This team is going to be very good very soon, and will win again soon. Get ready Bruins fans! Some playoff runs are on the way!

Bruins Injuries More Concerning Than They Seem

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Backes Injury

The Bruins cannot seem to catch a break this season, this time it’s not even on the ice. It seemed like the Bruins had finally figured it out on the ice, stringing some quality games together. They seem to have gotten their feet under them after the early injuries. Now the team has taken another major hit to the forward group. The Boston Bruins announced that David Backes would be placed on injury reserve. Backes will be out for a minimum of eight weeks.

At the start of the season, Backes missed time due to diverticulitis, a gastrointestinal disease. The power forward came back quicker than most anticipated, but is again sidelined, and will have colon surgery. Backes, who is now 33 years old, will be dearly missed on the ice. While he does not light up the score sheet, he provides a veteran presence. He has a toughness factor, which is crucial for the development of the younger kids.

Backes has shown signs of decline since joining the Bruins, most notably his speed. While Backes has never been fast, he also has not been a liability. Last season, Backes always seemed to be chasing the play. While it has looked a little better this season, going forward that will be a major concern.

Injuries Starting To Pile Up

With his injury, the Bruins roster has major holes. He joins the list along with Noel Acciari (broken finger), Ryan Spooner (groin), Adam McQuaid (broken leg), and David Krejci (back). Riley Nash skated as the Bruins second line centerman in practice. This alone should show that the Bruins are in scramble mode. The long term implications of the injuries should grab the attention of Bruins fans.

David Backes is 33, and the way he plays will only speed up his decline. Krejci is 31, and has had multiple injuries to his back/hip and has not lived up to the contract. On top of that, Bergeron 32, Rask 30, Mcquad 31, all have history of injury, and are only getting older. The Bruins future is supposed to be getting younger, and building a core for the next 5-10 years. In the mean time, the veterans are here to keep the team competitive, and relieve pressure for the young kids.

Instead, the veterans on this team cannot even get on the ice. The the team is rapidly starting to look like an AHL team. Boston is being forced into the youth movement. While Krejci and Backes get payed big money to sit in a press box, Sweeny has a lot of dead money on this roster. If the Bruins are going to advance in the rebuild, he has to make some moves.

From Bad to Worse for the Bruins

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With the Bruins only five game into this young season, they have posted a 2-3-0 record. The Bruins have been good in their two wins this season, but horrendous in the three losses they have suffered.

The team has been without assistant captains Patrice Bergeron and David Backes to start the season, but both have resumed skating this week and look to be close to a return. Bergeron has been out with a lower body injury, and Backes with Diverticulitis. It’s a good sign seeing these two skating and looking to soon make a return.

The injuries just keep coming

When things were just starting to look better, the Bruins were hit with more injuries. Third line center-man, Ryan Spooner, was injured in Sunday’s loss against Vegas. Spooner is going to be out of the lineup for 4-6 weeks with a groin tear. He had previously been playing through the issue, which tore in Sunday’s game. Spooner wasn’t the only player to be injured in that game. D-man Adam McQuaid, was injured after taking a slap shot off the side of his knee from Colin Miller. McQuaid was able to participate in Wednesday’s practice, and hasn’t been ruled out for tonight game against the Canucks.

Rask leaves practice

Bruins starting goalie Tuukka Rask has had a shaky start to the season. Rask currently holds a record of 1-3-0, has a SV% of .882 and a GAA of 3.30. Rask left Wednesday’s practice after rookie, Anders Bjork, ran into him during a drill. “It was a fast play. I don’t even know what happened” said Bjork. The Bruins haven’t given an update on Rask, but the Bruins have called up young goaltender, Zane McIntyre. It looks like Rask may miss some time. Hopefully Rask isn’t out too long, the Bruins need him to be successful in the lineup in order for them to win games.

Backes could return Thursday

According to Head Coach Bruce Cassidy, David Backes is closer to returning tonight than Bergeron. Having Backes back would be a tremendous boost to the Bruins young forward group. Backes adds size, power and a veteran presence. If able to play tonight against the Canucks, he could potentially play between Marchand and Bjork on the top line. This would allow Bruins center-man, Riley Nash, to move down in the lineup where he is more effective.

Bruins need wins now

With the Bruins currently 2-3-0, they are tied for fifth in the Atlantic division, with the Florida Panthers and the Buffalo Sabers. The Bruins have two games in hand, but are seven points behind the division leaders, the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Bruins need to start catching up now rather than later. The Atlantic Division is very good this season, with the Leafs, Lightning and Red Wings all playing excellent hockey. If the Bruins want to compete with the other teams in the division, they better start now.

How Diverticulitis Could Slow Down Bruins

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Many people probably had to look up the word diverticulitis when they heard that David Backes of the Bruins had it. As a health professional, I will give you an idea of what diverticulitis is, and will try and help explain the treatment. When we can expect the big rugged Bruin back on the ice?

DIVERTICULITIS IS AN INFECTION:

I have been telling everyone I know that what David Backes has is a very curable infection. I am quick to do this is because the infection is misunderstood. Many people believe that what the Bruin forward has is a form of Crohn’s or Colitis, and that is not true.

Diverticulitis is an infection of an area of your lower digestive system near your bowel called the diverticulum. The area itself is shaped like a small inlet and often can get infected to a lesser degree. When the area becomes more intensely infected you get some very serious symptoms. It often presents with pain upon eating anything, bowel difficulties(mainly diarrhea), and a great deal of pain. This is why it is often mistaken for the chronic disease Crohn’s, as the symptoms are somewhat similar. This infection can be picked up more easily by some people then another. The big thing is how well your system clears it away before it intensifies. In severe cases, it requires an operation, but fortunately not very often.

The way to differentiate is a stool test. This looks for infection, and is often how a diagnosis is made. I am unsure what the exact antibiotic regimen Backes would be taking, but it will be standard. It is treated with a cocktail of two antibiotics (often ciprofloxacin and metronidazole), and a low dose course of steroids. This would aid in getting rid of the infection and lessening the discomfort. You must be careful to not use too many pain relievers because they can alter bowel function as well.

The kicker with this infection is that the patient would not be able to eat much until the treatment is into the fourth or fifth day. This is why the rugged Bruins forward is expected to be out 3-4 weeks. The normal treatment is usually 14 days of straight antibiotics, and starting soft and non solid foods as tolerated. It’s hard to keep your strength up until resume a normal diet.

GETTING BACK INTO GAME SHAPE:

Once being able to resume a normal diet, he will need to return to his usual game form. A professional athlete cannot be deprived of food for that period of time, then expect to feel ready to go. Once he can comfortably skate and train again, it will likely take 7-10 days for Backes to get back into limited game action.

Providing that all of the steps of his recovery goes well, we should see the Bruin forward back on the ice in a couple of weeks. It is a nasty infection, but should not be a recurring problem. Once cleared from his system, Backes should be able to get back to his old cranky self. He will have to be monitored for recurrence, but should not be a problem.

Here’s to wishing the big Bruin a speedy recovery, and seeing him back on the ice soon! Better now than at playoff time, when his loss would be huge.

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Bruins Fall to Avalanche Again Wednesday

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Bruins fail to bounce back

The Bruins fell once again to the Avalanche on Wednesday night in Colorado. If the Bruins want to win hockey games, it will take a much better effort. They need to play the same way they did against the Predators last Thursday.

Tuukka Rask was pulled from the game after giving up four goals on 26 shots in the first two periods. Rask has allowed 10 goals through the first three games played so far this season. Bruins backup goaltender Anton Khudobin was between the pipes to start the third period. Khudobin came into the game when the score was 4-1, stopping all nine shots he faced in the third period. Khudobin looks to start this season the way he ended last season.

However, there are a few good things to take away from the game, The Bruins did have a strong third period by almost completing the comeback. The Bruins scored two goals in the third. Fourth-line winger Tim Schaller scored 11 minutes and 30 seconds into the period. Only a few moments later, Torey Krug scored for the Bruins to make it 4-3. There was plenty of time for Boston to score again and tie the game up. Unfortunately, the Bruins were unable to complete the comeback. The Avs went on to win the game 6-3 after scoring two empty net goals in the final minutes.

Bruins rookies struggle for second straight game

Bruins’ rookies Charlie McAvoy, Jake DeBrusk, and Anders Bjork were all held off the score sheet for the second straight game. Both DeBrusk and Bjork are a -5 in the last two games. McAvoy is -3 over the last two games. The Bruins rely heavily on these three rookies in the absence of Patrice Bergeron and David Backes. With Bergy an Backes out, the younger guys on the team have to step up and help carry the Bruins until they are fully healthy. With Bergeron looking to return sometime this weekend, one young forward will have to be replaced. At this point I think it’s safe to say that Bjork and DeBrusk’s roster spots are secured for now. So the Bruins will likely send a player from their third or fourth lines down to Providence.

Good signs

Other positive signs in the game included Brad Marchand beginning to look more and more like he did last season. Marchand scored the Bruins’ first goal of the game with a sick shot that beat Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov’s blocker side. Torey Krug also cashed in for the Bruins by scoring his first goal of the season. Krug’s goal came just one game after his return from the broken jaw that he suffered in the preseason.

Bruins need points this weekend

The Bruins will get their next shot in Arizona on Saturday night when they are in town to take on the Arizona Coyotes. Boston will be in action again on Sunday, taking on the Las Vegas Golden Knights for the first time

. The Bruins need these points now if they want to be in the postseason again this spring.