Tag Archives: @demalia_lorenzo

Is Tuukka Rask Back to Vezina Form?

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This season has been a rocky one for starting goalie Tuukka Rask. After getting off to a horrendous start to the season, the former Vezina winner lost his starting job. Rightfully so considering how Khudobin was playing compared to Rask. But after taking a seat for a few weeks it seems like Bruce Cassidy may have gotten the Finnish netminder refocused. However can Rask maintain his Vezina caliber play or will he return to early season form?

Slow Start

In the month of October Rask went 1-5 with an .896 SV% and a 2.93 GAA. Along with the terrible numbers the team looked lifeless when Rask was in goal. Tuukka was constantly off his angles, allowing soft goals inside the post. Along with having a tendency to get in the butterfly to quickly allowing himself to get beat high farside practically every night. Even though Tuukka was costing the team games his play still was sub par in November. Rask followed up one of the worst months of his career with another terrible one. In November Rask went 3-5 with a .901 SV% and a 2.78 GAA and the team was playing so poorly putting Rask in net was almost a guaranteed loss.

Tuukka’s horrible play brought on even more concern when reports came out that the Bruins’ locker room may have been getting tired of all the finger-pointing Rask was doing. This report was backed up when Tuukka said that “I’m not going to comment on the team play anymore”. Rask went on to say that the focus was purely on goaltending for him. So not only was Tuukka struggling in goal, it seemed like he was isolating himself in the locker room.

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Emergence

If anyone deserves credit for Tuukkas reemergence in goal, it’s Bruce Cassidy. Cassidy sent a message to the team and Rask, saying that just because you have the contract does not mean you have job security. It seems like the early season statement may have been the best move of the season. Since Rask got his starting job back, both Tuukka and the team look dangerous. In December Rask has otherworldly numbers in 4 games, posting a 3-0 record with an excellent .967 SV% and an 0.85 GAA along with his only shutout of the season.

Now the question becomes can Rask keep up this level of play for the rest of the season? Yes and no, it’s a tough question to answer straight up. Mainly because while Rask has been excellent he has a tendency to be rather streaky as the minutes begin to rack up. But this year the Bruins have leverage over the Finnish goalie. Anton Khudobin’s performance early on has provided Rask some much-needed competition. Now that there is another goalie who has performed at a high level waiting in the wings Tuukka has no room for a long slip.

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Conclusion

While Rask can be frustrating to watch his talent cannot be disbuted. When Tuukka is focused and on his angles he can be a gamechanger for Boston. So while he may never be able to play at vezina level again for an entire season. Rask still has the abilty to lead the Bruins on a cup run.

Matt Beleskey May Be One of the Biggest Bust in Recent Years

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When the Bruins signed forward Matt Beleskey in the summer of 2015 many viewed him as a potential replacement for Milan Lucic on the left side of David Krejci. Worst case scenario was that he became a physical third-line winger with the ability to get some dirty goals, right? Wrong, not even the most bitter Bruins fan could have predicted this. The Matt Beleskey era in Boston has been quite forgettable. Not something you want to hear about someone who pulls in $3.8M a year.

Lack of Production

Playoff production landed Belesky at the top of the 2015 free agency list.  For Anaheim,  the left wing put up  eight goals, and nine points playing alongside Ryan Getzlaf.  In an overall down year in the forward department, Beleskey seemed like a great offensive addition for a forward-hungry Bruins team. But to put it lightly, things have not gone according to plan. In 143 games for the Boston Bruins, Beleskey has scored18 goals, 27 assist, for 45 points, and has a horrible -12 rating. In his last 63 games, the left winger has only eight points, and is a -18. That includes zero points in 14 games played this season.  Zero.

On top of that, he seems to make an atrocious turnover whenever Cassidy unglues him from the bench. At this point, Beleskey brings more value from the press box because at least the Bruins won’t carry dead weight on the bench.

Lack of Physicality

Recently, a lot of people  speculate that the Bruins need to add some toughness. This is very valid, especially with the way teams have been taking luxuries with late hits on Bruins forwards recently.  Don Sweeney has to start shopping for a veteran forward to add some snarl to the lineup. Beleskey, supposed to be the tough guy on the team, has proved, useless. His defensive performance as noted has and continues to be, horrible with his -18 rating over the past two seasons. But even his physicality has taken a step back. Last season’s Beleskey compiled 98 hits, the lowest amount since 2010-2011. He will drop the gloves, leading the team with three fighting majors. But his fights are meaningless if he cannot continue the physical play during the game.

Now Sweeney has some major roster moves to make and Matt Beleskey could be the one to go.

Does Sweeney Deserve More Credit Than He Gets?

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The past few years Don Sweeney has been under fire by most Bruins fans. Justifiably so however. Most of his NHL moves have been downright wretched. But with the Bruins roster starting to get healthy and the mixture of veterans and young talent coming together, suddenly the Bruins’ roster looks better than expected. Sweeney, however, has not received much credit for his roster building.  But should he?

Drafting

The key development for the Boston Bruins this season has been the growth of young talent. While Sweeney can’t get credit for drafting all of the impressive rookies, he has played a major role in it.  After all, he drafted arguably the two most important young kids on the Bruins in Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo. On top of that, he also brought in Jake Debrusk who has shown NHL level goal-scoring ability.  Looking up and down the roster, Sweeney’s fingerprints are abundant.

Even the players he has not drafted, he deserves credit for developing. That includes Anders Bjork, Danton Heinen, and even David Pastranak to an extent. Sweeney has successfully replenished the once-depleted Bruins farm system and fans are starting to see the results.

Veteran Pieces

It has not been all perfect at the NHL level for Sweeney by any stretch of the imagination. But even with some horrible blunders, somehow the Bruins have a very good mixture of veteran talent. Sweeney does deserve credit for the moves that have gone his way. Signing 32-year-old David Backes to a five-year, $30M contract is a questionable move at best. But Backes has made an impact playing in a lesser role on the Bruins, and has provided a physical veteran presence for a rather finesee Bruins team.

The extensions that Sweeney has orchestrated with his star players have proven more important than his signings. Both Marchand and Pastranak, the most talented offensive players on the team, have signed under-market deals. Not giving in during the Pastranak negotiations may have been his best NHL move and deserves plenty of praise.

Fails

While Sweeney has made some solid moves, his bad ones tend to stand out more. Such as singing a third pairing defenseman in Torey Krug to a five-year, $21M contract with an AAV of $5.25M.  Additionally, he signed Matt Beleskey to a five-year $19M dealt, with an AAV of $3.8M.  And he kept Kevin Millar, who cannot stay healthy over a young, promising offensive defenseman in Colin Millar. Even more atrocious?  Sweeney’s trade of a second-, third-, fourth-, and multiple fifth-round picks for Lee Stepniak and John-Michael Liles. Sweeney has racked up some major fails, however none have them have crippled the Bruins, unlike the previous regime had a tendency to do.

Overall, Sweeney has been below average to downright bad at the NHL level. But it is starting to look like he has a couple of major hits from the draft to his credit.  When the Bruins win their next Stanley Cup, the young talent on this team will be front and center.

Brandon Carlo: The Unnoticed Budding Defenseman

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It seems like forever ago that Brandon Carlo was the talk of Beantown. The second year defenseman came flying out of the gate last season, quickly establishing himself in the NHL. Carlo rapidly became one of the league’s most promising young blueliners. Under the guidance of Zdeno Chara, Carlo played a ton of minutes in a shut-down role for the Bruins. However, although Carlo started the youth movement for the Boston Bruins, he sits on the back burner for many Bruins fans this season.  The rapid emergence of McAvoy, Bjork, Debrusk, and Heinen obscure the view.

Upside

While Carlo can have a tendency to disappear at times, his upside makes up for that and more. During a penalty-filled game, Carlo dominated all afternoon in Philly, leading the team to a clean six for six on the penalty kill. The young blueliner was a monster in his own end, blocking shots, and protecting the slot, something  lacking for the B’s this season.

The second-year defenseman so far has had a sneaky good season. After his excellent showing in Philly, Carlo now has a +5 rating with 24 blocked shots. While most of the Bruins’ young talent have great offensive upside, most of them lack the physicality required of shut-down defenders. Carlo has that ability, crucial for a team contending for a cup. He could potentially play a Niklas Hjalmarsson role for the Bruins in a couple of years.

Dependability

This may be the most crucial part of Carlo’s game. While the 21-year-old defenseman won’t make the highlight real with flashy offensive plays, he has the ability and the hockey IQ to make the smart and responsible play on the back end. Chara’s influence on Carlo cannot be stressed enough. Chara played the shutdown number-one defenseman for the Bruins when they won the 2011 Stanley Cup. The veteran’s knowledge on how to handle speedy young forwards and experience in the postseason could have a substantial effect on Carlo’s career.

So far its shown up with how dependable he has been for Cassidy. Carlo currently ranks sixth on the team in time on ice, averaging 19:09 minutes per game and has rapidly become one of Cassidy’s go-to players. While mistakes occur from time to time, his consistency throughout the game and the season is invaluable.

Improvements

While both fans and coaches have been impressed with the his defense, the Bruins hope Carlo’s offensive game can continue to develop. He posted a solid offensive year last season with six goals and 10 assists. The offense has taken a step back this season with Carlo only posting four assists, and zero goals on 23 shots. The injuries and more defensive responsibilities placed on the 21-year-old have not helped.  Cassidy has started playing Krug with Carlo a bit over the past few weeks, which should get him more involved in the offensive end. Playing with a more offensive heavy defenseman like Krug could serve Carlo well.

Carlo has rapidly developed into a very good defenseman for the Boston Bruins. Hockey fans beware.  Suddenly the Bruins have a one-two punch combo on the back end with Carlo and McAvoy.

Charlie Mcavoy Has Gone Above and Beyond

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Entering the NHL season expectations for the 19-year-old defenseman were set pretty high. So high that at one point it started to seem unrealistic. But so far McAvoy has shocked everyone with his skill and makeup. Through 23 games this season, McAvoy has not only been excellent on the offensive end with 3 goals and 10 assists. He’s also been quite stout defensively during a time when Boston needed him most.

Offensively

The former 1st round pick has always had the skill set to be a productive two-way defenseman. But some scouts were optimistic about it translating to the NHL level. So far McAvoy has shown that his offense is no fluke. Bruins fans have been out of their seats with this kid’s skill set. He has excellent skating ability, great vision through all three zones, and as fabulous hands as Jonathan Quick. Cory Schneider got to witness that first hand.

But what has been most impressive about his offensive game is his intelligence. While McAvoy has the talent that many could only dream about, he has shown an excellent level of discipline for a 19-year-old rookie. He has shown great timing on when to pinch down the boards and make a play. He also has the awareness to give up on the risky play that could hurt them defensively. Something that he was doing earlier on, credit to the coaching staff for developing him thus far. At times its hard to remember McAvoy is a defenseman because of how gifted he is offensively.

Defensively

With the non-stop ravishing of injuries the Bruins have faced this season, it’s been hard to find a player who has played every night. But McAvoy has and Cassidy has leaned on him as a result. The rookie is currently averaging 23:42 TOI, and played 28:11 against the Lightning in the Bruins’ 3-2 win at the Garden. That ranks 26th in the NHL, at the age of 19 lets not forget. The rookie has made his mistakes, which is expected when your out there in high pressure situations. McAvoy has shown the ability to learn from them and rapidly improve on the defensive end.

Physicality

Whats been most impressive is his physicality up and down the ice. McAvoy lines up players coming through the neutral zone showing a willingness to defend the blue line. Also his toughness has been eye-opening for spectators. McAvoy has also been on the receiving end of quite a few collisions too. But every time he pops back up and even got into it with Lucic. This kid has the heart and the guts to play a physical game, and the talent to go end to end.

Bruins fans: get ready because this type of player doesn’t come around often. At the young age of 19 its hard not to get excited about the future with Charlie McAvoy leading the way.

Jake Debrusk: Future NHL Superstar

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Every time a team rebuilds fans search for players to latch onto. Most fans and writers have been drawn to the fabulous talent of Charlie McAvoy. Rightfully so though, because McAvoy is a special player. But another young prospect on this team with exceptional talent has been flying under the radar. Jake Debrusk has been highly touted since being drafted number 14th overall in the 2015 NHL draft. For the first time Debrusk has flashed the talent that scouts have been raving about since his youth hockey days.

Backstory

Jake Debrusk has always had the heart and passion for the game. But early on in his hockey journey he lacked a scoring touch to go along with his determination. Jake Debrusk is the son of former New York Ranger Louie Debrusk. He has always been viewed as the guy who will do the dirty work in the corners. Through the early stages of his development this was crucial for him because his exceptional goal scoring ability was still developing. He is not a physical hockey player, only being 6 feet tall and weighing in at 188 pounds. However, he does have the grit and determination to do whatever it takes to get high percentage shots. This eventually got him drafted by the Swift Current in the 7th round (137th overall) in the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft.

Breakout

In 2013-2014 the hard-working mentality of Debrusk helped him lead all Swift Current rookie forwards in goals (15) and assists (24) through 72 games. Debrusk’s speed and shot began to develop to catch pace with his exceptional hockey IQ. However, it was not until the 2014-2015 season that Debrusk flashed his full potential. The young left winger opened the eyes of scouts everywhere, scoring 42 goals and adding 39 assist to account for 81 points, which ranked 4th in the WHL among left wingers. Debrusk showed that scoring ability that so many scouts around the league had been waiting for making him a highly touted prospect. In his final two regular season games he propelled the Broncos to a playoff spot scoring 7 points, 3 goals and 4 assist.

Adversity

After the winger’s stellar season he rapidly rose draft boards across the league. Many projected that he would be a late first round pick. The Boston Bruins thought highly of the Edmonton native, drafting him with the 14th overall pick in the 2015 NHL draft. However it was not all smooth sailing. Debrusk’s pro career started off on the wrong foot. The ex-Bronco failed a conditioning test only a few months after the 2015 draft. On top of that the young sniper’s WHL season was a bumpy one. With injuries plaguing Debrusk causing him to play only 24 games for the Broncos. The once potential NHL superstar was rapidly losing stock as each day passed.

Perseverance

Debrusk took the same approach off the ice as he would on the ice, grinding out every shift. Despite the sobering start to his pro career, the rookie continued to push through and thrived in the AHL. Posting impressive numbers across the board with 19 goals, 40 points, and a +11 rating. His hardworking nature and exceptional sniping ability had transferred to the pro game better than anyone believed it would. The wing once thought to be bust all of the sudden was the next great forward in the Bruins’ farm system.

Entering the season Debrusk was put into a top 6 role by Bruce Cassidy due to his exceptional scoring ability. After a rather pedestrian start the rookie looked tepid at times. In the past few weeks Debrusk has shown why he was such a highly touted prospect. Using both his speed and strength along the puck to create prime scoring chances for him and his line mates. Debrusk has always head the work ethic and the brain to play at the NHL level. But now with his rapidly improved offensive game, the sky is the limit for number 74.

Short Term Solution for the Bruins’ Season

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So far the Bruins’ season has been full of questions with few solutions. The Big Bad Bruins for better or worse have been the team’s identity. Well at least it was until recently. This year’s Bruins team lacks a definitive identity. They are not skilled enough to play up-tempo, eye-popping hockey. But the Bruins are also not tough and gritty enough to grind out close games on a consistent game to game bases. So far this hockey team has won games in different ways, but as we have seen they’re very inconsistent.

Weakness

Watching the games outside of Pastranak, Marchand, and maybe Krug or McCavoy, this team is not built to play fire wagon hockey. The recent success that the Bruins have come across has been a result of pure effort. Cassidy needs to keep the pedal to the medal in order to keep the arrow pointing up. Sunday night’s 4-2 loss to the Oilers showed exactly what happens when the Bruins try to play a more finesse style of hockey.

This loss to the Oilers is a painful one to swallow. The Bruins coughed up what should have been a guaranteed two points against a widely underwhelming Oilers team. Edmonton came into the TD Garden concluding a terrible five game road trip, and having lost four out of their last five games. While Boston was playing their best stretch of hockey this season, after winning an emotional matinee matchup against the Penguins. But the Bruins got away from their game and as a result ended up playing the Oilers game.

Grit

Now when the Bruins have been good this year it’s not because of the talent level. It’s because the Bruins have played with fire, and grit that has worn down less prepared teams. That type of wear-you-down hockey is what the Bruins need to continue to pursue if this season is the main priority. Too often the Bruins try to make the extra pass in the offensive zone, or on the breakout. As a result the bigger, faster, and more talented teams have been able to dictate the terms against Boston.

So how can the Bruins make this season interesting? By embracing the physical, gritty style of hockey that has been the key to the Bruins success as an organization. Rather than trying to wow the crowd through the neutral zone, start dumping the puck into the corners and make the other team work. Also, the Bruins have to suffocate the neutral zone much more than they are currently doing. Quicker teams have been able to gather great speed off the rush which has led to prime scoring chances.

While up tempo hockey is exciting, it has gotten the Bruins in trouble. Slow it down, finish checks, and make the other team outwork you. That’s the key to the Bruins having any substantial success this season.