Monthly Archives: November 2015

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Matt Beleskey- not quite your MVP but a key contributor

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If not for the numbers, it would not be a stretch to argue that left wing Matt Beleskey is one of the Boston Bruins’ most valuable players over the first quarter of the 2015-16 NHL season.

The two goals and 10 points in 20 games is disappointing given he scored a career-high of 22 a year ago with the Anaheim Ducks and was expected to reach the 20-goal plateau at least this season after the B’s made him their priority target in free agency last July. Signed to a five-year pact that carries an AAV/cap hit of $3.8 million per season, Beleskey is currently the eighth-highest paid Bruin on the roster. However, this blog post will argue that he’s closer the top-five in terms of impact and importance to the team’s fortunes. That may not translate when it comes to pure production, but in terms of other traditional and advanced metrics, Beleskey has been one of the more consistent forwards on a team that has had other players provide the needed scoring impetus early on. Based on his role in Anaheim a year go, Beleskey will eventually bring more in terms of production, and when he does, his overall physicality, energy and grit will be even more significant in proper context.

Background: Beleskey was the 116th overall selection (fourth round) by Anaheim in the 2006NHL Entry Draft, spending his entire OHL career with the Belleville Bulls (2004-08). His best season was a 41-goal, 90-point affair for the Bulls in his final junior campaign in 2007-08, signing with Anaheim and spending the 2008-09 season in the AHL (he did have a two-game scoreless NHL stint with the Ducks that year.) Beleskey scored 11 goals in 60 NHL games the following season and established himself as a full-time NHLer in 2011-12. The lockout and injuries have conspired to deny him more than 70 games in a single season, but he hit a career best for goals and points last season in only 65 games. The Ducks attempted to keep him out of free agency with a contract extension offer before the regular season ended, but Beleskey opted instead to go the free agency route.

Traditional statistics: With just a pair of goals in 20 games, there is no denying that Beleskey’s production is way down from a year ago. He’s scored in a loss against Montreal and an October 31 win over Tampa Bay, so both of his goals have come against division rivals. However, his assist totals put him on pace for about 40 helpers, which will far exceed his career-best 15 assists from 2013-14. His points/60 min average is a little off from what it was a year ago, but is comparable, and he is on pace to surpass his top output of 32 points.

Granted- you expect more from your $3.8M than 40-50 points, but that’s not terrible value offensively. At even strength, where the B’s have not been the greatest this season, Beleskey is among the team’s leaders in points with a 1.89 points/60 rating. Compare that to David Krejci– 2.41; Patrice Bergeron– 1.23; Loui Eriksson– 1.73 and Brad Marchand– 1.70. That Krejci leads Beleskey by .52 P/60 5v5 is not a surprise, but would you have put money on him beating everyone else- and Bergeron by .66? Beleskey’s even strength P/60 are No. 3 on the team overall- behind Krejci and Tyler Randell (2.30), who has played a paltry 78 minutes at even strength. Beleskey’s  even strength 1.89 P/60 would be only seventh-best on the Montreal Canadiens (just ahead of Tomas Plekanec), but he would lead the Tampa Bay Lightning, whose best 5v5 player, Jonathan Drouin, has just a 1.88 P/60 to boast of.

Beleskey has not had an opportunity of any significance with the man advantage or on the penalty kill, with just 6:39 of power play time (compared to his 285:38 and counting at even strength) and 49 seconds  on the ice while shorthanded. The lack of impact on special teams is both a ding on him in terms of how valuable he is and an example of how successful he’s been despite the opportunities that his higher-scoring teammates receive in the special teams game. When you factor in the Bruins P/60 rates in all situations- Beleskey (1.97) drops to 10th on the team, with every forward on the active roster save for Frank Vatrano, Landon Ferraro, Joonas Kemppainen and Zac Rinaldo ahead of him. Colin Miller’s (2.00) rating puts him ahead of Beleskey, the only defender in the top-nine. On the Toronto Maple Leafs, for example, Beleskey’s 1.97 P/60 puts him fourth on that team.

Where Beleskey is shining is in the hits department, where he is currently in the top-10 with 82 hits, more than 4 per game on average. By comparison, Milan Lucic, the Boston forward Beleskey was widely considered to have been brought in to address the lost production from, has 78 hits in two more games. Beleskey doesn’t have Lucic’s natural size or ability to be as physically dominant, but he’s a scrappy, physical guy for his 6-foot-and change size. He’s always willing to finish his checks and make a big hit. Just ask Derek Stepan. Ouch…too soon? Que dites-vous, Alain Vigneault?

Beleskey is shooting the puck more than he did a year ago and right now, not a whole lot is going in for him, but when he starts finding the back of the net, watch for him to get on a streak. Beleskey fired five shots on Henrik Lundqvist Friday and if he continues to get pucks to the net, he’ll raise the scoring bar. A year ago, he scored 18 even strength goals on just 124 shots, a shooting percentage of 14.5 percent- well above his typical numbers (he tallied 10.3 percent in his 11-goal season during 2009-10, but typically scored at under a 10 percent clip in his other years), but most analysts predicted (correctly) a natural regression from that 14.5 percentage this season. Admittedly, the B’s need more than his current 6.67 shooting percentage, and he’s a good bet to get that number up closer to his career average of about 9-10 percent by season’s end.

Advanced statistics: Beleskey is on the positive side of the ledger in terms of goals scored for his team when he is on the ice versus goals against (per 60 minutes), with a GF60 of 2.941 and GA60 of 2.101. good for a GF percentage of 58.3. Bergeron’s even strength offensive numbers for example aren’t as good- the B’s have scored just 2.255 GF/60 but his GA/60 average is better with a 1.845.  That gives him a 55.0 GF%. Bergeron’s iCorsi (74) is higher than Beleskey’s (66) because he takes more shots, but his even strength shooting percentage is lower.

Beleskey’s PDO (shot percentage + save percentage while player is on the ice- I like this stat because it tends to be a little more predictive versus some of the others) is 101.7, which is lower than his 103.8 and 103.0 in each of the last two seasons. Bergeron’s even strength PDO is 98.8- up two percentage points from the less productive 2013-14 season, when he posted a 96.8. Even in his 30-goal campaign of two years ago, his PDO was 102.4- just .7 points higher than Beleskey’s number as of today.

Bergeron significantly overtakes Beleskey on the power play where his production is tops on the Bruins with 9.88 P/60 (he has 11 of his 21 points against Beleskey’s 0.00. Bergeron’s PDO on the power play is 120.6 (compared to his 5v5 of 98.8), which gives you an idea of just how much his production with the man advantage skews the scoring totals in his favor. The bottom line for me when I look at the two players- at even strength, where the two have similar minutes on the ice, Beleskey is the more productive (note- I said productive not better) player. I won’t peel the onion back too much more in terms of Beleskey’s zone starts or how he does when close or trailing, but he’s been one of the more consistent performers at even strength- admittedly and area that the Bruins need to improve on going forward if they want to remain in the playoff picture.

(Statistical source: Hockey Analysis.com- David Johnson)

Intangibles: Going back to July 1, when Beleskey chose the Bruins in free agency, he’s said and done all the right things. He and his wife were active on social media and quickly traveled to Boston after signing, showing their excitement to be joining the organization at a time when the team’s outlook was anything but rosy. The B’s and Don Sweeney had just traded Dougie Hamilton and more questions than answers swirled around the B’s, even though Beleskey and trade acquisition Jimmy Hayes pumped some excitement into fans who had seen their contributions while wearing other team jerseys and envisioned good things from the new additions. Thus far, the two have combined for just six goals, which is well off of expectations given that they posted a total of 41 between the two of them with the Ducks and Florida Panthers a year ago.

Beleskey is hard-nosed- he’s had a couple of fights with Minnesota’s Brett Bulmer and NY Ranger Dylan McIlrath in the past seven days, racking up an impressive 10 total hits in both contests. He’s a gritty, willing combatant, which should endear him to Bruins fans as they warm up to him in Boston and see where his consistency and ruggedness comes from.

Against McIlrath, Beleskey was out of his weight class and took some shots and jabs from the much larger former WHL pugilist and first-round pick before coming back with a right cross and then went to the ice.

Beleskey did a lot better in his scrap against Bulmer, however…

What’s more- Beleskey wants to be here. Sweeney did a good job of moving guys who didn’t feel the same way out. If you’re going to invest millions in a player- at least pay for the ones who want to be a part of the solution. These guys are only human and sometimes we forget that if someone doesn’t want it as badly, we can expect them to be professionals, but without being able to see inside a person’s heart, we don’t know if they are giving it their all. One need not do any more than simply watch the way Beleskey hurtles around the ice on every shift, looking to to make a hit or force a turnover if he’s anywhere near the puck when someone with another jersey has it, to know that the guy is giving it his maximum effort.

Beleskey was in the news this past week when he and his wife purchased $2,000 worth of pies and distributed them to homeless veteran charities in Boston for Thanksgiving. It’s a nice gesture from a player who has backed up his words of being proud to be a part of the Bruins organization with the kind of gritty play the team values, as well as taking the time to give back to the community.

Summary: The Bruins are getting the guy they coveted from the West Coast. The goals aren’t there, but he’s brought a needed effort each and every night and plays hard, providing the all-important leadership by example. His 10 points in 20 games has him on pace for his best offensive season, and he’s creating space for his line mates with his physical brand of hockey. Beleskey doesn’t have the natural size to be a classic and even feared power forward, but he’s not shy about sticking his nose in and taking one for the team.

There are some who will just point to the $3.8M cap hit and draw a direct correlation to the downturn in goals, but when you consider that some pundits were predicting him to sign for upwards of $4.5 or 5 million last July, the Bruins are getting solid value. At age 27 and with four more years on the books, he’ll probably live up to the contract and then some so long as he can stay healthy. Because of his kamikaze style of play, it takes a toll on his average frame. However, when all is said and done, no one will ever accuse Beleskey of being soft.

In short, you win with guys like that, and this is why- as we look at Boston’s record after 22 games- they sit at a solid 13-8-1 overall. There aren’t many who would have put money on them being 5 games over .500 at the quarter pole with the team they had on paper coming into the season. Beleskey’s contributions, especially at even strength when the power play has not been there to carry the club offensively, are a big reason you can make a case that he’s right up there with the big guns- Krejci, Bergeron, Marchand, Eriksson as one of the team’s most valuable players during this stretch of the season.

 

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Final Buzzer: Bruins take Black Friday matinee over Rangers

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The Boston Bruins showed the urgency of rabid Black Friday shoppers in a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over the Eastern Conference power New York Rangers in a post-Thanksgiving matinee.

Ryan Spooner and David Krejci scored goals 2:03 apart in the third period to erase a 3-2 deficit and give the B’s their fifth consecutive victory, a season high. Patrice Bergeron and Brett Connolly also tallied for Boston, keeping the team in the thick of the Atlantic Division standings. Tuukka Rask made 24 stops and was good when he needed to be in getting over .500 (8-7-1) for the first time this year.

For the Bruins, they put forth a strong effort in scoring four goals against longtime nemesis Henrik Lundqvist. In contrast to other recent wins, the team played a solid 60 minutes, losing an early 1-0 lead to stay within striking distance to negate 2-1 and 3-2 scores to grab an emotional two points at the end of regulation.

For Boston, the offense has played pretty well over the course of the season, posting an NHL-best power play (two goals) but the team defense has been much improved during the five-game winning streak. A lot of it has to do with the return of Dennis Seidenberg, who has stabilized the pairings with his experience and strong defensive play after missing the first month of the regular season.

The Rangers did’t play their best game at TD Garden, but on paper, the Broadway Blueshirts are a significantly better team than the Bruins are. Where Lundqvist is concerned, there might be a psychological edge over Boston (though the 2013 playoffs went a long way towards erasing a long-term dominance he had previously enjoyed), but he looked mortal in this one.

Boston got on the board first when Bergeron converted a blocked Torey Krug drive after the veteran center won an offensive zone draw to the B’s top scoring defender. The puck hit traffic out front, but Bergeron was on the spot and zipped a shot through Lundqvist’s five-hole to get the home crowd into the game early. It was the eighth goal of the season, the 214th of his career. Bergeron is closing in on 600 career points with 571.

Rangers goals by Oscar Lindberg and Rick Nash in the first five minutes of the second period put Boston in a 2-1 hole, but Connolly got the equalizer on the power play, the first time the B’s scored with the man advantage in three games. Connolly found the back of the net after Colin Miller faked a shot from the point and then put a pass to the streaking forward’s tape.

The Rangers grabbed a lead once more in the final period when J.T. Miller got a power play goal thanks to a Brad Marchand goalie interference penalty. The call drew a cascade of boos from the TD Garden because it appeared that Lundqvist was on the edge of his crease and fell to the ice as if shot once Marchand made contact with his knee to the goaltender’s head, but the call stood, and the Rangers capitalized.

With time winding down, Jesper Fast took a hooking penalty on Miller which set the stage for Boston’s furious comeback.

With the Bruins in possession of the puck, Krug got another shot from outside through to the front of the net. Loui Eriksson got his stick on it and found Spooner who was driving towards the crease from the right circle. He took the puck and flipped it up and over Lundqvist who was down on the initial shot and unable to make the save. Spooner’s fifth goal of the season came with 3:46 left in the third period.

Krejci then tallied the winning goal with 1:43 left when he drove a hard shot from the outside that appeared to pinball off a Rangers player (Emerson Etem) in front and into the twine behind Lundqvist.

The game was not without some controversy, as Matt Beleskey drilled Derek Stepan with a hard check that drove the Rangers star into the boards, breaking several ribs as the team would report afterwards. The hit itself was not an illegal one, but delivered perhaps a tad late and with Stepan off balance as he was turning to chase the puck he had just passed. When Dylan McIlrath challenged Beleskey and was assessed an extra two minutes for instigating, Connolly scored on the ensuing power play, adding insult to injury.

Claude Julien moved rookie fan favorite Frank Vatrano to the right side on a line with Bergeron and Marchand, and showed some promise on his off-wing. He’s using his speed and hustle to win puck battles along the walls and has been so impressive given how quickly he’s emerged as an NHL option. His father recently pointed out that in one calendar year Vatrano has scored his first NCAA, professional (AHL) and NHL goals- talk about a white Christmas!

The Bruins are off until Wednesday, when they go on the road for three games in Western Canada, but with Rask enjoying his best stretch of hockey this season and the rest of the club playing with confidence and verve, the B’s are giving their fans a lot to be happy about. As expected, the season has been a series of peaks and valleys, but the brutal start to the year and winless homestead seems to be a distant memory.

The Bruins showed they can run with some of the NHL’s big dogs with this win over the Rangers, and after some poor showings at home, are giving their fans more reasons to get excited for the games again.

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Dennis Seidenberg has been ‘steady as he goes’ since returning to the lineup this month (Photo courtesy of Alison M. Foley)

David Krejci- Scored the winning goal late by doing something he hadn’t been doing enough of in recent seasons- shooting the puck on net. A core player who was signed to a big extension a year ago, one that raised eyebrows, the Czech veteran has been one of the NHL’s top offensive players since opening night and is one pace for his best scoring season at age 29.

Matt Beleskey- He didn’t have any points, but had five hits including the momentum-changing play on Stepan, five shots on net, a fight and key drawn penalty resulting in Connolly’s PPG, along with 13 minutes of ice time. As Bruins analyst Bob Beers has said- Beleskey might not be getting the points, but he shows up every night and makes a difference in other key areas. He’s not going to give you the pure physical dominance of Milan Lucic (when he was on his game) but Beleskey is giving the team every ounce of his talent right now.

Ryan Spooner- The debate on his even strength effectiveness continues, but he came through in the clutch when the B’s needed a power play goal with a key score that took full advantage of his speed and puck skills. Simply put- when Spooner has extra time and space, he’s been deadly in the season’s first quarter. As long as he continues to produce, he’ll stay firmly in the mix with the big club.

Colin Miller- With two goals and 10 points, Chiller is on pace for a superb rookie season. His skating and puck skills are so obvious whenever he’s out there, but his defensive game is progressing and the former Kings farmhand’s confidence is growing with each game. With Dougie Hamilton struggling in Calgary, Miller is giving the Bruins comparable production and has been an important factor in Boston’s current hot streak.

Loui Eriksson- His assist on the game-tying goal was typical Eriksson- a heads up play by a poised veteran. He could have just tried to drive the puck past Lundqvist, but instead recognized Spooner was attacking from an oblique angle and had a better chance of beating the Rangers goalie with it. With nine goals and 20 points in 22 games, he’s playing the best hockey of his Bruins tenure by far.

Dennis Seidenberg- He’s not fancy, but the German veteran is playing well after coming back from injury earlier this month. His overall play is up compared to his problems a season ago when he was returning from a major knee injury suffered in January of 2014 and appeared tentative and ineffective. He’s no longer in his prime, but Seidenberg’s experience and poise has helped to stabilized Boston’s defense. They’re not a top group by NHL standards, but with the team’s offense and goaltending, they’re good enough to get the job done. He’s a big-time shot blocker and leads by example, even if he’s not going to provide the pure talent and production of other defenders on this club.

Brett Connolly- Scored his first goal in 12 games. He’s got some zip and has the ability to be the scorer that the Tampa Bay Lightning felt good enough to pick sixth overall despite missing just about all of his draft season. Connolly is a low-cost player who could be a key to keeping this offensive chugging away, but consistency is the main thing.

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Alain Vigneault- We can understand the frustration over losing a key player like Stepan to the Beleskey hit, but invoking the Aaron Rome hit from the 2011 Stanley Cup final? Come on, man. Vigneault has a good track record as an NHL coach, but he also has an earned reputation for being a whiner and this was vintage AV.

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Final Buzzer: Motor City madness as B’s steal 2 points from Wings

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The Boston Bruins got a pair of goals from rookie Frank Vatrano, back from missing the past several contests to injury, and a monster game in net from backup Jonas Gustavsson to stun the Detroit Red Wings on the road with a 3-2 victory in sudden death.

The hometown Wings carried the edge in play for most of the night, but Gustavsson kept them in it after surrendering Pavel Datsyuk’s 300th career NHL goal and another strike from Tomas Tatar in the second period that gave Detroit a 2-1 lead until 1:44 left in regulation.

Vatrano opened the scoring at 7:11 of the first period when he took a Joonas Kemppainen pass out near the high slot and buried a low shot past Petr Mrazek. Former Red Wing Landon Ferraro drew his second assist in as many games with the Bruins after being claimed on waivers Monday.

The goal happened in part because Zdeno Chara swept a rolling puck away from danger after Gustavsson got a piece of a Niklas Kronwall drive that squirted through and was headed for the goal line.

Datsyuk rifled home the equalizer at 2:26 of the middle frame when he took an Alexey Marchenko pass and put the puck past Gustavsson for his second goal of the year. Tatar then added to the lead with his seventh marker, assisted by Riley Sheahan and Darren Helm.

Boston was unable to get much going in the way of sustained offensive pressure and when Vatrano took a poorly-timed tripping call at 14:42 of the final period, it appeared that the B’s might be out of luck on a night when their goaltending was good enough despite a lack of scoring.

However, after killing off the Vatrano penalty, the B’s found life on a deliberate play that developed slowly through the neutral zone between David Krejci and Loui Eriksson. Without pushing the pace, the two passed the puck back and forth before Eriksson gained the zone and then backhanded a pass over to his right. Defenseman Colin Miller was trailing the play and stepped into it, blasting the puck past Mrazek and into the net off the far post to make it a 2-2 game.

In 3-on-3 overtime, the B’s survived some tense moments including a sequence when Eriksson lost his stick and then failed to clear it by kicking at the puck. Tatar nearly ended the game on an odd-man rush with a wide open net, but he heeled the pass and the puck went wide, setting the stage for an improbable duo of Matt Beleskey-Vatrano-Miller combination to win the game.

Beleskey gained the Detroit zone and curled near the left boards, protecting the puck and then dishing up to Miller who had just entered the zone and was out near the middle of the circles. He then made a perfect slap-pass on net, freezing Mrazek, who no doubt expected another “Chiller Driller” to come scorching in. Instead, Vatrano was cutting to the front of the net and he put his stick on the off-speed shot, deflecting it down and into the net for the game-winning score.

The Bruins upped their record to 12-8-1, moving into third place in the Atlantic Division on the night before Thanksgiving. Given how hard this team works despite not having an abundance of high-end talent, they’ve given the fans a lot to be thankful for.

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Frank Vatrano- Back in the lineup, the East Longmeadow native tallied his first career two-goal game in the NHL. It’s not just his sublime release and otherworldly stick skills/killer instinct around the net, but he’s added a dimension of speed and is hustling all over the 200-foot sheet of ice. I said it on Twitter, but if you had told me back in March when the B’s signed the impressive 18-goal guy out of UMass that he would score 3 goals in his first 7 NHL *before* December 1st, I would’ve thought that was crazy talk. Vatrano, who previously attended Calgary Flames development camp before signing with Boston, is making anyone who doubted him including all 30 teams that skipped him in the draft three times, look like the ones who lost their marbles.

Jonas Gustavsson- He lived up to his nickname of the Monster tonight with another quality start. It’s obvious that the guy can play…the key to him going forward will be in maintaining his health, as injuries have been stumbling blocks for him in the past. He made some tough stops look pretty routine tonight, and as someone who subscribes to the “less is more” approach when it comes to goalies, that’s a good thing. He’s now 5-1, with a GAA of 2.15 and a save percentage of .920.

Colin Miller- Chiller posted the tying goal and an assist on the winning goal. He seems to be growing and developing by leaps and bounds with each game, as the confidence is getting larger. Sure, he’ll make the odd bad read or poor pinch, but he has the tools to make up for those missteps. He’s already contributing quite a bit at both ends as a raw rookie who saw his first NHL game back in October- just think how good he could be in another 2-3 years.

Claude Julien- Let’s give him credit on this one: is anyone going to say with a straight face that he hates young players when he rolled out a combo of Vatrano and Miller during 3-on-3 OT play along with Beleskey? For all the static he gets, he didn’t staple Vatrano to the bench after the youngster’s bad penalty late in the third period. He recognized that Vatrano and Miller, combined with Beleskey’s edge and energy might make for a good mix and the trio did not disappoint.

Pavel Datsyuk- 300 goals in a Hall of Fame career. At 37, he’s slowing down, but tonight, he showed why he’s been an NHL star for so long. Aside from the fact that the Bruins have been leading the league in allowing career milestones to be reached this season, Datsyuk found the back of the net with an understated, yet impressive strike that captured the essence of his elite hockey sense, talent and a penchant for making magic out of the mundane ever since he came over from Russia after being the 171st overall pick in 1998.

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Ryan Spooner- Did not see much action in the final 10 minutes of regulation or overtime. For a player with his speed and skills, the team wants more from the 2010 second-rounder. Regardless of the less productive and successful performance at 5-on-5, Spooner has the ability to raise his game when challenged and has rebounded when sat down in the past. Sometimes we forget that he’s still just 23, and his 11 points in 21 contests is a little off his pace from a year ago, but when he’s on his game, there aren’t many more dangerous forwards on this team than No. 51.

 

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Bruins claim Landon Ferraro off waiver wire

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Pierre LeBrun of ESPN reported this hour that the B’s have put in a successful waiver claim for winger Landon Ferraro, who was put on the wire  by the Detroit Red Wings yesterday.

The 24-year-old was Detroit’s top choice, 32nd overall (in the early second round) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft out of the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels. He is, as most already know, the son of former NHL forward and current TSN analyst Ray Ferraro, who owns the single season WHL goal scoring record of 108 goals in 72 games with the Brandon Wheat Kings in 1983-84.

The younger Ferraro came out of junior (Red Deer and the Everett Silver Tips) with the reputation for having good speed and puck skills/shot- he scored 37 goals in his draft season but injuries derailed him in subsequent years and he never again approached that mark. He scored 27 goals in 70 games for the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins a season ago and netted his first NHL marker against Carolina last spring. In 10 games this year with the Wings, he had no points. In 17 career NHL games, he has just the one goal.

Here’s a quick excerpt on him from Red Line Report’s 2009 Draft Guide:

Rank: 38 “Has the ability to score in a variety of ways- off the rush with a solo effort, near the circles with a 1-timer, or jumping on rebounds outside the crease. Terrific shooting accuracy and a super-quick release. Has tremendous hand/eye coordination to tip and deflect shots for goals. Excellent hockey sense allows him to be in the right place for scoring chances.”

This is not a bad move to try and see if Ferraro can benefit from a change of scenery and help Boston in the process. He’s a smart, offensively gifted player but on the downside, is average size-wise and doesn’t excel in playing a 200-foot game. In that regard, he’s an atypical Bruins player. Well, hold the phone on that, maybe…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os-L0QocJ90

Given that he was the 32nd overall player in 2009 (taken seven spots after Jordan Caron and one pick ahead of Ryan O’Reilly), he’s worth a roll of the dice as a waiver claim. What this means in terms of who goes down is yet to be determined, but Max Talbot might be headed back to Providence.

Here’s an interview with Ferraro during Wings camp a few months ago:

 

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Final Buzzer: Bruins, Rask blank resurgent Leafs

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The Boston Bruins benefited from a superb goalie duel between Tuukka Rask and James Reimer, winning a second consecutive home game for the first time this season in sending the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs away in a 2-0 contest.

The game was scoreless going into the final five minutes, as both teams waged a see-saw battle that began with a good, uptempo pace from the opening puck drop and continued throughout, with just a couple of penalties to slow the momentum.

This was hockey the way it was meant to be played, even though there was just one goal scored with a netminder between the pipes- Brad Marchand’s empty-netter in the waning seconds made sure the Leafs didn’t send the TD Garden faithful into a panic with late-game heroics.

Reiner stopped Boston’s first 35 shots on him and has reinvented himself after buying into the head trajectory concept, which is gaining momentum with goalies around the NHL. In a word, it comes down to this: tracking. By tracking the puck by leading your save movement with the head and maintaining a visual at all times before the shot, at the time of save and through completion of its trajectory on the rebound, Reimer is on a hot streak, having entered the game with a .951 save percentage since pushing Jonathan Bernier out of the Toronto crease.

Alas, Reimer’s excellence in net was not enough for the Leafs, as Matt Beleskey won a puck battle down low late in the third period, dishing the puck out to Zach Trotman at the right point. Trotman faked a shot to freeze his man, then slid the puck over to his d-partner Zdeno Chara. Instead of shooting, Chara had a lane to the net and took it- skating about 15 feet in and uncorking a hard snapshot that beat Reimer through the wickets with traffic in front.

The Boston captain’s third goal of the season was all the Bruins needed.

In net, Rask was good when he had to be, making several key stops on Leafs forward Shawn Matthias, including a first period breakaway when Colin Miller lost an edge on a reverse crossover at his own blue line, allowing Matthias to walk in alone.

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Zdeno Chara had a great night in the Boston victory (photo courtesy of Alison M. Foley)

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Zdeno Chara- Big Zee gets a lot of flak on my Twitter feed as a diminishing star who is not the player he once was, but tonight, he reminded us all of why he’s a future Hall of Famer. He played a snarly game, doling out hits and cracking Toronto pest Leo Komarov in the back with his stick during one sequence. During a scrum between Marchand and James van Riemsdyk, Chara locked up with Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf and dearly wanted to fight him, something Phaneuf seemed all too happy to let the officials keep from happening. Then with a little under five minutes left, Chara unleashed a bomb from the slot to win the game. Life means that certain sports fans will adopt a “what have you done for me lately?” attitude and there’s not much you can do about that. People are entitled to their opinions, and while Chara’s best years are behind him, it was nice to see him at the top of his game on this night.

Tuukka Rask- The Leafs have been kicking themselves ever since trading him to Boston nearly a decade ago, and Rask posted his 28th career shutout- good for fourth all-time in Boston franchise history behind Cecil “Tiny” Thompson, Frank “Mr. Zero” Brimsek and Tim “Timmy” Thomas. It’s been a tough year for Rask, but he came up big when his team needed him, and he was pretty quiet in the net, keeping things simple and making the saves look pretty routine. It was a nice change of pace from the off-kilter Rask we’ve seen more often than not this year, and goes to show that when he’s on, he’s one of the best in the game.

Brad Marchand- Marchand played a great game. He had a highlight reel sequence in the opening frame when he screwed Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly into the ice on an inside-out move, then decked Reimer, ultimately losing the puck off his stick before he could get a shot off. During a collision with Komarov that looked worse than it was, van Riemsdyk went to him and Marchand dropped the gloves, pulling the much-larger JVR to the ice and getting a roughing penalty in the process. He played with speed, energy and grit all night and didn’t get too out of control, which is usually the only issue with him. His ENG was icing on the cake of a solid night overall.

Zach Trotman- I tweeted that he’s my unsung hero for the past week-plus for steady, effective play since getting a chance to skate regularly in the lineup again. He’s never going to be a top defenseman or two-way threat, but Trotman has the size, mobility, smarts and character to be a serviceable defender at this level. He was unfairly banished to the press box after having to debut on opening night with Matt Irwin, who had a disastrous two-game performance that caused Trotman to pay a larger price, missing about a month of games as a healthy scratch. But, the former Lake Superior State standout didn’t sulk or complain- he just kept working at it and was ready to go when his chance came. NESN analyst and colleague Billy Jaffe takes it a step further, saying that Trotman has been among the team’s best defensemen since returning to the lineup. Not bad for the last overall selection in 2010…

ZachTrotman1008

Zach Trotman has been an unsung hero for Boston since getting another chance to skate regular minutes (Photo courtesy of Alison M. Foley)

Matt Belesekey- His point totals are nothing to write home about, but this guy is a quintessential Bruin in the way that he blasts around the ice doing the little things. I think the production will start to flow more in the coming games, but you certainly notice the guy and he made the right play on Chara’s winning goal. If he doesn’t win that battle for a loose puck, maybe this game gets to OT and we have a completely different outcome. Luckily for Boston, he didn’t lose and a few seconds later, Chara’s rocket was tickling the twine.

James Reimer- He’s a good guy off the ice and you have to give him credit for reinventing himself on a team that started horrendously. I don’t know that he’s for real- we saw a similar run back when he debuted and captured Toronto’s collective hearts in early 2011 when he was called up and stymied NHL shooters before coming back to earth and battling injuries in subsequent seasons. And of course- he was in net against Boston in the 2013 playoffs for that agonizing overtime defeat in Game 7. Tonight, he did everything in his power to give his team a chance to steal a couple of points.

No downers tonight. The Bruins got an important win for their psyche and are sitting in one of the two wild card spots as we speak. There’s still much hockey to be played, but given the way things started, I think most people will take that.

 

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Lauzon helps send Russia down in defeat in CHL Subway Series

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Jeremy Lauzon attracted some attention with a goal and two-assist performance in the final game of the  annual CHL Subway Series showcase. In the second of two QMJHL vs Russia contests, the first of which was won by the Russians, the Quebec League stormed back for a decisive victory, giving the CHL a 5-1 edge in games for 2015.

Here are some highlights featuring Lauzon’s point shot, which stood up as the winner.

http://canadarussia.chl.ca/video/index/id/3e427cd42a04b4aaf96540a7c65b9b48

Lauzon also does a post-game interview. His English isn’t the greatest, but give him marks for trying, at least. He’s getting some good practice before he gets to Boston, and I think he’ll make the big club at some point in the next 3-4 years, maybe sooner.

http://canadarussia.chl.ca/video/index/id/5ce5cb1d089ea257d63615bbda72a64b

I’ve been watching Lauzon quite a bit this season and I like that he plays a lot of minutes and in all situations for Rouyn-Noranda. He’s the lead sled dog on that Huskies club, and he uses his skating, vision and smarts to advance the puck smartly and distribute well in the offensive zone. He’s getting a good chunk of his assists this year by getting pucks in on net from the point; his teammates are deflecting those shots or putting in rebounds. Lauzon’s goal scoring is down from a year ago when he led all Quebec league draft eligible d-men with 15 (he just scored his fourth of the season Friday night), but he’s getting ready to blow by his career-best for points in a fraction of the games. You can check out his most updated stats here at HockeyDB.

My chief publisher boss and our Quebec scout at Red Line Report loved Lauzon for the 2015 NHL draft, rating him 59th on the RLR independent rankings. In hindsight, we should have had him higher- he looks like a stud. It’s going to be hard for him to make Team Canada’s Under-20 World Jr. Team next month, but he’s making a case to get a look and stranger things have happened.

The name of the game in modern hockey is having defensemen who can skate, pass, score and defend across the board. While Lauzon is not an elite talent, he has no discernible weaknesses anywhere. The NHL has quite a few of these solid citizens who do everything well and are key contributors. Those who know me well understand that I don’t like to make NHL comparisons, but I will make an exception in Lauzon’s case just to give an idea of the *type* of impact/style he *might* bring to Boston one day if he makes it- think NY Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh. Two-way threat who will make hits and block shots, but who also has the skills to boost the production from the blue line.

 

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How Swede it is- Eriksson hatty, Gustavsson sharpness key in B’s win

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The Boston Bruins beat the Minnesota Wild Thursday night by a 4-2 score thanks in large part to Loui Eriksson’s hat trick (he now has 9 goals on the season) and solid play between the pipes by backup goaltender Jonas Gustavsson.

The win was significant also because it was only the third victory on home ice this season for Boston, which was an important two points for the team to get on the heels of Tuesday night’s loss to San Jose at the TD Garden. Additionally, that the B’s beat the Wild, the ranking modern expansion era nemesis for Boston, was an important moral win for a team that will take positives in any form these days. It was only the third time since Minnesota joined the league for the 1999-00 season that the B’s had beaten the Wild, which is a remarkable statistic when you consider the success the Bruins have had since 2008.

With defenseman Kevan Miller on the shelf after suffering an upper body injury in the third period against the Sharks, the B’s got a boost with the return of Colin Miller who had missed the previous couple of games to injury.

The story of the night was the play of Boston’s two Swedes- Eriksson and Gustavsson- who paced the home team to a solid win on home ice. For Eriksson, it was his third career three-goal game, and Gustavsson upped his record with Boston to 4-1, a 2.20 GAA and .915 save percentage. He’s making a case to see more ice, which could let Tuukka Rask get a little time to work through his struggles right now. Not surprisingly, I’m seeing some Twitter chatter mocking Rask and elevating ‘Gus’ but still believe Rask is not only a superior goaltender to Gustavsson but he’s capable of infinitely better play than he’s demonstrated to date. This is not a goaltender controversy per se and it would be absurd to argue for Gustavsson to push Rask aside at this juncture, but Gus has played well enough to perhaps get the next game or two and see what he does with the opportunity.

Loui’s first goal of the night happened when he threw the puck at the net from the near the left wing boards and it appeared to hit Brett Connolly and bounce in past Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk. In actuality, the puck hit Wild forward Jason Pominville’s skate who was locked up with Connolly and backing in towards his net, meaning the goal belonged to Eriksson, his seventh of the year.

The second goal happened on the power play, when Torey Krug took the puck in from the blue line and near the top of the left circle put a hard pass into the slot where Patrice Bergeron was set up. Bergeron then moved the puck over to Dubnyk’s left and Eriksson buried it for his second of the game.

Eriksson completed the natural hat trick when he finished off a nice give-and-go with David Krejci to close out the scoring. It all started with a good save by Gustavsson and a heads-up pass from Matt Beleskey to spring Krejci and Eriksson on a 2-on-1 in the neutral zone.

As for Eriksson, he’s continuing a fine season in which he currently sits third on the team in scoring with nine goals (team lead) and 17 points in 18 games.

Eriksson was never going to provide the superstar potential Tyler Seguin took with him to Dallas and that was a known risk Boston was taking when they dealt the 21–year-old in 2013. However, this version of Eriksson was the guy the Bruins felt like they were getting back as part of a larger package that to date has not turned out as hoped.

Eriksson’s play this season has made GM Don Sweeney’s job a tough one, as he will have to decide whether Loui is part of a solution going forward past 2016 or if the team should trade him at or near the deadline to get what could be a pretty significant return. We’re too early in the season to figure out whether Boston will be in a position to make a trade or will be better served sticking with him, but one thing is for sure: Eriksson is doing the things we had always seen from him in Dallas. You know what you have in the guy, so if you give that up for the uncertainty of future returns in the form of prospects and/or draft picks, you might just find yourself wishing the team had stuck with Eriksson instead.

It’s no doubt a debate that will continue to be had and heat up after the Winter Classic when playoff positions will start to solidify and we will better know if Eriksson can sustain his impressive scoring pace.

Beleskey and Krejci played superb games as that line carried the night- it’s another sign that while this Bruins team might lack the talent on paper to be a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, they’re going to show up and give a top effort most nights.

 

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No final buzzer tonight

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Sorry, friends- having a busy week and not able to post a final buzzer game recap tonight.

Will be back to cover the next B’s game after missing the last two, but if I don’t watch the entire contest, there isn’t any point trying to pretend/pass off less than a complete effort.

Thanks for the understanding-

KL

2015-16 AHL season, 2015-16 CHL season, 2015-16 NCAA season, Alexander Khokhlachev, Anders Bjork, Austin Czarnik, Boston Bruins prospects, Brandon Carlo, Cameron Hughes, Colby Cave, Daniel Vladar, Danton Heinen, Emil Johansson, Jack Becker, Jake DeBrusk, Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, Jakub Zboril, Jeremy Lauzon, Jesse Gabrielle, Linus Arnesson, Malcolm Subban, Matt Benning, Matt Grzelcyk, Noel Acciari, Peter Cehlarik, Providence Bruins, Rob O'Gara, Ryan Donato, Ryan Fitzgerald, Sean Kuraly, Seth Griffith, Zachary Senyshyn, Zane McIntyre , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Bruins Prospects Update 11/16/15

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It has been a tough season for the goalies in Providence.

Malcolm Subban missed just about a month with a lower body injury suffered before the start of the year and has been mediocre at best (and that might be putting it mildly) since returning to the lineup. Zane McIntyre is a gamer, but he’s undergoing  a challenging transition, which only further underscores the folly and foolishness displayed by some who really thought he should just waltz into the NHL backup spot behind Tuukka Rask without having seen a single shot at the pro level. McIntyre is a terrific competitor and will eventually right the ship, but he’s struggling at the AHL level right now.

As for Subban, much bigger things are expected of him, and the 2012 first-rounder needs to start showing more consistency in his preparation and execution. If the B’s had toyed with the idea of trading him in order to get a nice return, they can shelve those plans, because Suban’s value is down is right now. He needs to get back to basics.

Austin Czarnik returned to the Providence lineup and not a moment too soon with Alex Khokhlachev now out with a bad hand. The diminutive former Hobey Baker finalist picked up where he left off, tallying a goal and assist in three games.

The NCAA prospects had another big week, which included a 2-goal, 4-point night from Ryan Fitzgerald and Wiley Sherman’s first career NCAA goal in his second year with Harvard. BU center Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson had another strong weekend and is getting positive reviews by NHL scouts who all point to the uncommon maturity of his game for one in just his first collegiate season. NU defenseman Matt Benning got his second goal of the year, significant in that he went all of 2014-15 without scoring once, though still managed to lead the Huskies in scoring from the blue line.

AHL

Alex Khokhlachev, C Providence Bruins

GP- 11 Goals- 4 Assists- 9 Points- 13 Penalty Min- 2 +/- 6

Hand injury; did not play.

Austin Czarnik, C Providence Bruins

GP- 7 Goals- 2 Assists- 5 Points- 7 Penalty Min- 6 +/-  5

Czarnik returned to the lineup after missing seven games; if he can stay healthy, he’ll infuse the Providence lineup with much-needed speed, skill and energy.

Tommy Cross, D Providence Bruins

GP- 10 Goals- 0 Assists- 7 Points- 7 Penalty Min- 25 +/- -4

Chris Casto, D Providence Bruins

GP- 14 Goals- 0 Assists- 7 Points- 7 Penalty Min- 12 +/- -9

Seth Griffith, RW Providence Bruins

GP- 7 Goals- 2 Assists- 4 Points- 6 Penalty Min- 4 +/- -3

Colby Cave, C Providence Bruins

GP- 14 Goals- 5 Assists- 1 Points- 6 Penalty Min- 4 +/- -4

Colton Hargrove, LW Providence Bruins

GP- 11 Goals- 3 Assists- 1 Points- 4 Penalty Min- 8 +/- -2

Expected to be more of an enforcer type of forward this season, Hargrove has been one of the more consistent players providing scoring from the lower lines.

Anton Blidh, LW Providence Bruins

GP- 14 Goals- 4 Assists- 0 Points- 4 Penalty Min- 8 +/- -1

Noel Acciari, C Providence Bruins

GP- 14 Goals- 1 Assists- 2 Points- 3 Penalty Min- 7 +/- -3

Former Bishop Hendricken and Providence College captain scored his first career professional goal over the weekend.

Linus Arnesson, D Providence Bruins

GP- 14 Goals- 0 Assists- 1 Points- 1 Penalty Min- 0 +/- -2

Malcolm Subban, G Providence Bruins

GP- 5 MIN- 304 GA- 19 GAA- 3.75 Spct- ..850 W- 1 L-3 OTL 1

Zane McIntyre, G Providence Bruins

GP- 8 MIN- 480 GA- 26 GAA- 3.25 Spct- .875 W- 2 L- 3 OTL- 3

 

OHL

Zach Senyshyn, RW Saulte Ste Marie Greyhounds

GP- 20 Goals- 10 Assists- 5 Points- 15 Penalty Min- 2 +/- -6

 

QMJHL

Jeremy Lauzon, D Rouyn-Noranda Huskies

GP- 19 Goals- 3 Assists- 24 Points- 27 Penalty Min- 34 +/- +19

Jakub Zboril, D Saint John Sea Dogs

GP- 16 Goals- 3 Assists- 4 Points- 7 Penalty Min- 20 +/- 2

 

WHL

Jake DeBrusk, LW Swift Current Broncos

GP- 14 Goals- 6 Assists- 14 Points- 20 Penalty Min- 13 +/- -3

Groin injury; DNP

Jesse Gabrielle, LW Prince George Cougars

GP- 19 Goals- 14 Assists- 6 Points- 20 Penalty Min- 29 +/-  1

Big week for Gabrielle, who scored three goals and five points in three games and continues to turn heads in the WHL. By comparison he had 10 goals and 19 points in 33 games with the Regina Pats after a mid-season trade last season. He’s well on his way to beating all of his previous career highs.

Brandon Carlo, D Tri-City Americans

GP- 11 Goals- 1 Assists- 7 Points- 8 Penalty Min- 32 +/- -3

Carlo is injured and did not play this past week.

 

NCAA

Ryan Fitzgerald, F Boston College Eagles (HEA)

GP- 9 Goals- 7 Assists- 6 Points- 13 Penalty Min- 27 +/- 13

Anders Bjork, LW University of Notre Dame (HEA)

GP- 10 Goals- 2 Assists- 8 Points- 10 Penalty Min- 2 +/- 10

Danton Heinen, LW Denver University Pioneers (NCHC)

GP- 10 Goals- 4 Assists- 4 Points- 8 Penalty Min- 0 +/- 4

Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, C Boston University Terriers (HEA)

GP- 10 Goals- 3 Assists- 8 Points- 11 Penalty Min- 8 +/- 2

2 goals and 2 assists in 2 games over the weekend put JFK second on the team in scoring behind Sharks prospect Danny O’Regan.

Ryan Donato, C Harvard University (ECAC)

GP- 6 Goals- 3 Assists- 2 Points- 5 Penalty Min- 6 +/- 3

No points in two games played for Donato this week.

Sean Kuraly, C Miami University (NCHC)

GP- 12 Goals- 1 Assists- 4 Points- 5 Penalty Min- 12 +/- -6

The Miami captain finally got off the schneid to record his first goal of the season over the weekend.

Matt Grzelcyk, D Boston University (HEA)

GP-4 Goals 2 Assists- 2 Points- 4 Penalty Min- 10 +/- 3

Cameron Hughes, C University of Wisconsin (Big Ten)

GP- 10 Goals- 1 Assists- 3 Points- 4 Penalty Min- 2 +/- -2

Matt Benning, D Northeastern University (HEA)

GP- 11 Goals- 2 Assists- 2 Points- 4 Penalty Min- 15 +/- -9

Wiley Sherman, D Harvard University (ECAC)

GP- 6 Goals- 1 Assists- 2 Points- 3 Penalty Min- 4 +/- 2

Sherman tallied his first career NCAA goal in game No. 43 for the Crimson.

 

Rob O’Gara, D Yale University (ECAC)

GP- 6 Goals- 0 Assists- 2 Points- 2 Penalty Min- 8 +/- 2

 

Europe

Peter Cehlarik, LW Lulea (Sweden)

GP- 14 Goals- 3 Assists- 3 Points- 6 Penalty Min- 0 +/- -2

Emil Johansson, D HV71 (Sweden)

GP- 16 Goals- 0 Assists- 2 Points- 2 Penalty Min- 12 +/- -2

Maxim Chudninov, D St Petersburg SKA (Russia)

GP- 24 Goals- 5 Assists- 4 Points- 9 Penalty Min- 71 +/- -5

USHL

Jack Becker, C Sioux Falls (USHL)

GP- 15 Goals- 2 Assists- 4 Points- 6 Penalty Min- 0 +/- -3

No points in three games for the 7th rounder since last update.

Daniel Vladar, G Chicago (USHL)

GP- 9 MIN- 490 GA- 19 GAA- 2.33 Spct .912 SO- 1; 1-4-2

Vladar’s only action last week came in 21 minutes of relief of a losing effort, where he allowed no goals.

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Final Buzzer: B’s struggle at home again after taking 2-0 lead on Avs

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One of the bigger issues confronting the 2015-16 Boston Bruins is not just the problems the team has at earning points on home ice, but its a penchant for blowing leads in three of those crucial early season contests.

Losses after jumping up by two goals against Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and now Colorado have ended in disaster, as the Bruins dropped a 3-2 game Thursday night at the TD Garden.

A return to the ice by veteran defenseman Dennis Seidenberg was spoiled by a Colorado comeback after Boston blew a 2-0 lead taken in the first six minutes of the game. The Bruins did not score again the rest of the contest.

First period goals by Zdeno Chara and Ryan Spooner were countered by strikes from former Bruin Carl Soderberg (assisted by former Bruin Jarome Iginla) and Rejean Beauchemin, who tied the game with just 29 seconds left in the opening period.

Colorado coach and old Boston nemesis Patrick Roy challenged the Chara goal just 1:12 into the game for a crease violation, but was unsuccessful in the attempt to have the captain’s second goal of the season negated.

The two teams played through a scoreless second period, with both Tuukka Rask and Reto Berra making some key stops for their clubs. At 5:46 of the second period, Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog was ejected for a blindside head hit on Brad Marchand. The B’s were unable to score on an extended power play (after he took a roughing penalty in response), but Marchand remained in the game and seemed to suffer no ill effects despite already suffering a concussion earlier this season.

Colorado took the lead in the third period when Kevan Miller coughed up the puck near the Boston blue line to Mikhail Grigorenko, who skated towards Rask before sliding a cross-ice feed to Matt Duchene, who buried it for his seventh goal of the season. Miller

The B’s were unable to find the equalizer after pulling Rask for the extra attacker.  From the sounds of it, a lack of offensive zone time and puck possession throughout the game doomed them to another home disappointment for the Boston faithful. The crowd let them know, too- as boos rained down on the players with a few minutes remaining in the contest and the defense having trouble getting the puck out the zone and up the ice on the attack.

Sorry, folks- was in and out of this one and did not catch the entire contest, so no Ups and Downs tonight…I’ll only post that when I see the entire contest, but prior commitments prevented me from giving the game my complete attention. Perhaps that is for the best.