Devils @ Bruins, 03/31/22

The word of the day is catharsis.  After falling 6-4 to the Toronto Maple Leafs on home ice, the Boston Bruins looked to bounce back on Thursday against the struggling New Jersey Devils.  Following an absolute onslaught of offense, the Bruins crushed the Devils 8-1, and now sit one point behind the 3rd place Tampa Bay Lightning.  Featuring multiple goals from Brad Marchand, Jake DeBrusk’s most complete game in recent memory, and a story book first goal for local boy Marc McLaughlin, the Bruins victory swiftly put their previous loss behind them.

There was an expectation leading into Thursday’s game for the Bruin’s to return to form, as they still boasted the league's second best record since January 1st at 27-10-3, led only by the Colorado Avalanche.  Coach Bruce Cassidy swapped out defensemen Connor Clifton and Derek Forbort for Mike Reilly and the big bodied newcomer Josh Brown.  The change was due not only to the poor performance from the pair on Tuesday night’s defeat, but also to kick the tires on Brown by seeing his play firsthand, and then evaluate where he’ll fit into this Bruins roster.  Brown came to Boston alongside a conditional 2022 7th round draft pick as part of a trade with the Ottawa Senators that sent the Bruin's first round draft pick Zachary Senyshyn and a 2022 fifth round pick north of the border; Brown had been playing for Ottawa's minor league affiliate and is an important depth acquisition for this Bruins team as they prepare for another run at the Stanley Cup in four short weeks.  In his Boston debut, Brown was a +2, registered one hit, and took the fast track to winning over the TD Garden crowd by dropping the gloves for a spirited bout with defenseman Mason Geertson.  

Craig Smith and Nick Foligno were also absent from the lineup on Thursday, due to sickness and an undisclosed injury respectively.  Taking Folgino’s spot on the fourth line was  Anton Blidh: his first game since the Bruins 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild.  Smith’s spot was filled by the recently signed Boston College Captain Marc McLaughlin.  North Billerica born McLaughlin put up 31 points (21 goals, 10 assists) in 33 games with BC this year, and his play Thursday night both with and without the puck was certain to catch the eye of coach Bruce Cassidy.  McLaughlin notched his first career NHL goal to propel the Bruins to a 7-1 lead halfway through the 2nd period with a perfectly labeled shot off a pass from linemate Trent Frederic.  Prior to his goal, McLaughlin impressed with the precision and ferocity on his forecheck and the high energy of a player that wants to make removing him from the lineup a difficult decision to make.  Given the chemistry and production of the Bruins third line in Frederic-Coyle-Smith, there’s little doubt that Smith will return to his regular spot when he’s able; but McLaughlin’s performance shows he will be an important depth piece for this team going forward.  

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Many fans hoped and expected the Bruins to make a move for a top 6 forward at the trade deadline, and when that trade never came it was all eyes on Jake DeBrusk.  Earlier that day DeBrusk signed a two year extension with the team, despite requesting a trade from the team earlier in the season.   Following Craig Smith’s movement to the second line, DeBrusk was bumped to the top right wing position alongside future Hall of Famer linemates Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron.  A historically streaky goal scorer, doubts of DeBrusk’s ability to contribute consistently loomed, even when alongside arguably the best duo in the NHL.  Such doubts are dissipating as Jake DeBrusk’s name continues to appear on the score sheet, with 4 goals and 2 assists in his last 6 games including a goal and an assist in Thursday’s victory against New Jersey.  Not only is he contributing offensively, DeBrusk’s speed, physicality, and defensive responsibility continue to make for an impressive all around effort.  His journey this season has certainly been an unusual one, but the 25 year old winger is making the most of his opportunities and will likely be an important piece during the playoffs.

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Jake DeBrusk is not the only Bruins player who continues to impress.  Second line center Eric Haula had yet another noteworthy game.  With a goal that originated from his own backchecking effort, Haula now was 8 points in his last 6 games including a 3 assist night against Tampa Bay.  Much how there were questions of DeBrusk’s fit for the top line, there were concerns of Eric Haula being chosen for the critical 2nd line center role. 

Erik Haula came to Boston as a free agent in 2021 and had spent time as the team’s third line center during a time where Boston’s middle 6 continued to struggle.  At the beginning of 2022 during the covid imposed two week hiatus, Bruce Cassidy made the call to critically shake up the long established top lines.  Following the dismantlement of the Perfection Line and David Pastrnak’s subsequent movement to the 2nd line alongside Haula and previous Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall, the Bruins had found what they had been desperately needing for quite some time: scoring depth.  Since then, the second line has put up 115 points including a 30 goal explosion from David Pastrnak, boasting even more production than the top line’s 90 points.  Against the Devils, Haula recorded a goal originating from from his own backcheck in the offensive zone, a play that Haula has been seen making more and more as of late.  Beyond the statistics, the eye test also shows that Haula fits comfortably among the top 6; His secondary efforts, backchecking, and passing ability demonstrate that he's earned and continues to deserve his present role night after night.  

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Performances from all four lines, three defensive pairings, and goaltender Linus Ullmark culminated in a win that is wildly cathartic for Bruins players and fans alike.  When playing to their capacity, this Bruins team remains one of the hardest in the league to beat.  Any possible matchups between themselves and their neighbors in the Atlantic will produce what could likely be the most brutal and entertaining playoff series in the entirety of the 2022 playoffs.  Whoever emerges from this division to battle for the Eastern Conference Final will either be limping or unstoppable. The recent emergence and acquisition of legitimate depth players throughout this Bruins roster is critical to their chances of making a deep playoff run, and only part of what makes them one of the least desirable matchups throughout the league.

The Bruins will host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday evening.  It remains to be seen which players will be returning to their regular slots in the lineup, if any, but the newcomers certainly made their mark in a game that will be fondly looked back on, and one that has eclipsed the team’s deserved loss against Toronto.