NHL Notes: Bruins' DeBrusk coming into his own; a dream comes true for local kid

There are certain moments when an NHL rookie does something during a game that demonstrates he can play at this level. The more comfortable he becomes, those types of play come more frequently.

Enter Jake DeBrusk.

Since Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy decided the rookie forward needed to watch from press level as a healthy scratch against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 11 at TD Garden, DeBrusk has found the gear the team has been waiting for him to find. He has points in four of five games since his one-game hiatus, but there’s been so much more to his game that doesn’t always show up on the score sheet.

His speed, relentless forecheck and defensive play have been much better. His biggest improvement, however, has been his vision. That was evident on his assist of David Krejci’s goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday at TD Garden. DeBrusk had the puck in the high slot and made a no-look pass to his wide-open linemate on the off post for the goal. There were numerous NHL scouts and GMs in the building and all were impressed with DeBrusk all-around performance.

“He was really good (Friday). Best I have seen him,” said one scout. “He has better vision and creativity than I first thought. Always knew the speed and tenacity were really good, but now he’s putting it all together.”

DeBrusk’s first game back after being a healthy, he made it clear that he never wants to sit again. During his current offensive surge, his vision at both ends of the ice and his decision-making with the puck has progressed.

“It goes back to the mentality of playing fast,” he said. “I think that was one of the focuses. And ever since I got scratched, I think that I’ve had some jump in all the games or at moments. That level of confidence and I’m also playing with great players. They open up a lot of space for me. And on that example, Krejci’s goal, I’ve seen him do that 100 times. It’s nice to get a reward, it’s nice to get on the board, especially twice, in a game like this.”

It starts with his speed. He wasn’t playing with pace or energy and that’s why Cassidy decided to scratch DeBrusk earlier this month. He’s played with that energy and he needs to continue to bring that on a consistent basis.

“In this league, you need to be going 100 percent and quick,” he said. “Any chance I get a sniff out there, especially when Krech has the puck, I’m going full speed. As of late, I’ve found that my speed has been there, my legs have been there and it’s really helped my game.”

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It was a moment Matt Grzelcyk had dreamt about as a kid. A native of Charlestown, the 23-year-old defenseman for the Bruins scored his first NHL goal on Friday against the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. His dad, John, is a longtime member of the Garden’s Bull Gang and whenever the ice was available, he would bring Matt and he could play hockey on the same ice as his childhood idols. So, it was perfect that Grzelcyk netted his first NHL goal on his home ice.

“It was pretty special,” he said. “It brings back memories skating as a kid and stuff like that. It hasn’t really set in yet, but it was pretty cool to get that out of the way.”

After the game, the former Boston University standout couldn’t wait to see his family, many of them in attendance for the game, including his father. When asked what he was going to do with the game puck, Grzelcyk said: “give that one to my dad.” He did.

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Hingham’s Brian Boyle, who was diagnosed with leukemia in September, scored a goal on Friday to help the Devils defeat the Canucks on Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Night at Prudential Center. Fans began chanting “Brian Boyle” after he scored. He and his family also participated in the ceremonial puck drop prior to the game. . . . Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin recorded his eighth career hat trick to help the team improve to 9-2-0 on home ice with a victory over the Flames at American Airlines Center. Seguin scored career goals Nos. 199, 200 and 201 to become the first player from the 2010 NHL draft class to surpass the 200-goal milestone. The next closest is the Hurricanes’ Jeff Skinner with 189. . . Sharks forward Joe Thornton registered two assists on Friday to pass Joe Sakic for sole possession of 12^th on the NHL all-time list. . . . Today is the 100^th anniversary of the NHL. The league began with four teams – the Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Arenas. . . Canadiens goaltender Carey Price returned to the lineup on Saturday and recorded a 36-save shutout to become the fourth Montreal netminder in history to reach 40 career shutouts.

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This edition of Drill of the Week focuses on the transition game and regrouping. Sorry, no video this week but it’s simple to understand. If you have a full sheet, put the nets on the blue lines, similar to a 3-on-3 in the neutral zone. One forward is placed behind each net and once your team gains control of the puck, it must pass back to the forward behind the net. Every player regroups behind the net before transitioning to offense. We recently did this drill with our ’05s and it worked well.