Tag Archives: Matt Grzelcyk

Bruins Vs. Blues | Stanley Cup Game 5 Preview

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Two steps forward, one step back. That’s how the Stanley Cup Finals have gone for the Boston Bruins. They won Game 1 with a four-unanswered-goal comeback, taking it 4-2. They dominated Game 3 scoring four power play goals and winning 7-2. Unfortunately, Game 4 played similarly to Game 2. The Bruins couldn’t maintain the puck in the offensive zone, couldn’t keep it out of their own, and committed far too many turnovers. They lost Game 2 in overtime 3-2, then lost Game 4 by a score of 4-2. Both losses also came with injuries to the Bruins defense. In Game 2 Matt Grzelcyk was hit by Oskar Sundqvist and hasn’t played since due to a concussion. In Game 4 Zdeno Chara deflected the puck into his face and it’s reported that he has a broken jaw.

Tie Breaker

Tied at 2, the series is now a best-of-three. Game 5 is in Boston, as well as Game 7 if necessary. The Bruins will look to utilize the home crowd and light up the scoreboard early. They’ll need to establish and maintain offensive zone time and shoot at the net every chance they get. In both losses the Bruins had significantly fewer shots on goal than the Blues. Tuukka Rask has been amazing throughout the playoffs, but he’s going to need more offensive help to win the Stanley Cup.

(Associated Press)

Utilizing the Power Play

The Bruins haven’t been as productive during 5-on-5 play lately, so the key will be drawing penalties. They’ve been lethal on the power play and that can jump-start the full-strength offense. The Blues have been physical with several borderline (and a few egregious) hits, so getting a few calls should be inevitable. If the Bruins can capitalize on those chances and get something going, maintain puck possession, and cut down on turnovers, they’ll have a great chance of winning.

Defensive Woes

The defensive situation is a big question. Matt Grzelcyk was at practice on Wednesday, which is good news. But he was wearing the red, “no-contact”, jersey. So whether or not he plays in Game 5 remains to be seen. Chara is another question mark. There still hasn’t been any official word on him or his availability, but he wasn’t at practice on Wednesday. He’s consistently led the Bruins in ice time, so if he can’t play that leaves the Bruins with a large defensive hole. The current speculation is that Coach Bruce Cassidy will dress seven defensemen, instead of the usual five, to fill that void.

(Photo by Billy Hurst)

The Bruins had to win Game 3, and to do so they would have to play their best game of the season. They did. This time even more is on the line and they’ll have to play just as tough. They can’t allow the Blues to win Game 5 in Boston and go back to St. Louis to potentially win it all. Game 5 is an absolute must-win for the Bruins, and they’ll need all four lines showing up in force to do so. The series, the season, and the Stanley Cup is on the line.

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.

Adam McQuaid

Adam McQuaid’s Role In Boston

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Adam McQuaid has spent his entire nine-year career in Boston. He is not the Bruins top defender or even in the top four. That does not mean he has not been valuable to the Bruins since making his NHL debut in the 2009-2010 season. McQuaid affects the game in many ways that do not show up on a stat sheet. This season he will be fighting for minutes as the Bruins have eight defensemen under contract. The only locks appear to be Torey Krug, Charlie McAvoy, Zdeno Chara, John Moore, and Brandon Carlo. That will leave Kevan Miller, Matt Gryzelcyk, and McQuaid fighting for limited minutes. McQuaid will more than ever need to show the intangibles that have made him so valuable to the Bruins over the years to get consistent minutes.

Where Adam McQuaid Excels

McQuaid is not an offensively gifted defenseman. In his career, he has only scored 13 goals and distributed 53 assists. His best offensive season was 2010-2011 when he had three goals and 12 assists. What separates McQuaid is the way he affects the game with his physical style of play. He is not afraid to throw his body around and often acts as an enforcer on the ice. Last season he had 6 fighting majors which was the most on the Bruins. Four of them came on the road which showed that McQuaid was not afraid to stand up for his teammates regardless of where he was. For that reason, McQuaid has endeared himself to his teammates. It may however not be enough as his offensive liabilities could impact his spot in the lineup.

Adam McQuaid

Photo Credit: NHL.Com

Adam McQuaid’s Future In Boston

This season marks the final campaign of McQuaid’s four-year deal. Next off-season the Bruins will have a tough decision to make regarding McQuaid in free agency as a potential trade candidate. Some Bruins who will be free agents include Danton Heinen, Ryan Donato, Charlie McAvoy, and Brandon Carlo. That means McQuaid’s future is bleak as those four will likely be the main priorities next offseason. The Bruins will also have a handful of prospects such as Ryan Fitzgerald entering free agency who will be looking for a significant pay raise next year. The Bruins will want to give their top prospects chances to show what they can do which will impact McQuaid’s playing time.

This season McQuaid will most likely serve as the seventh defenseman. He will make 2.75 million which is expensive for the role he will play. If the Bruins do deal their enforcer to free up salary he could net them a mid-round draft pick. He has shown that he is capable of holding down a bottom pair role and his toughness could interest other teams. That is the unique trait that the Bruins would struggle to replace. Regardless of how the season plays out, McQuaid has created an endearing legacy in Boston. He will be remembered for his toughness and willingness to defend his own teammates. His role in Boston may have diminished but his legacy will not.

matt grzelcyk

Boston Bruins- the Grizz Is Back

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Late Friday Night, the Boston Bruins announced that they signed restricted free agent Matt Grzelcyk to a two-year deal worth $2.8 million. The Charlestown native will be signed through the 2019-202 season.

BY THE NUMBERS

This past season, the 24-year-old defenseman had quite the season, if not impressive for a rookie. As one of the many first-year players that made an impact, Grzelcyk tallied up three goals and 12 assists over 61 games. During the Stanley Cup playoff run, he had one assist. At just 5’9″, 174 lbs, the defenseman looks to add some strength to his game:

Boston Bruin Matt Grzelcyk

“Getting in the weight room is obviously huge for me, like it is every offseason,” Grzelcyk said. “I think just quite a bit of confidence going into next year, and trying to earn a spot again, that hasn’t changed.”

A third-round pick for the Bruins in 2012, Grzelcyk spent his first season in Providence. In this past season, “Grizz” played alongside veteran defenseman Kevin Miller, adding some much-needed depth on the blue line. During the regular season, he logged 16:44 ice time minutes; in the playoffs, he averaged 15:56 minutes on ice. Grzelcyk also scored his first NHL goal this past season.

A LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Boston’s playoff run has been talked about, analyzed and dissected. No matter which way you look at it, this Bruins team will be quite the force this coming season. For Matt Grzelcyk, the Tampa series was one to reflect on, particularly the third game. For the defenseman, an unfortunate puck “hop” led to an opening goal by Tampa Bay. Grzelyck had the puck at his feet, however, because of that hop, he found himself spinning back towards the blue line. The puck, still bouncing, was fed to Tampa’s Ondrej Palat who was able to beat Rask on his high blocker side, sending it into the back of the net. A rough start in a tough series, but Grizz made no excuses:

“Yeah, just trying to gap up, [and] the puck kind of felt like it backspun on me on the ice. I thought it maybe went behind me. I just took my eye off the puck I guess and they capitalized because they’re a good team..Obviously not the way you want to start the game and that was just tough bouncing back after that.’’

NEW SEASON, NEW START

Boston Bruin Matt Grzelcyk

As GM Don Sweeney continues to make some key decisions affecting the Bruins roster, there’s was that question: would he bring back Grzelcyk? After all, he was going to be an RFA at the end of the season. Then came the good news: the Bruins re-signed Grzelcyk for two more years. Boston is continuing its focus on the youth movement by keeping Grizz. It’s always good to see a Boston native play for their home team, and fans alike see #48 at the Garden for a little longer.

 

Welcome back, Kid

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.