Sean Kuraly's speed a key against Lightning's top line

TAMPA – Danton Heinen knows better than trying to keep up with Sean Kuraly. Skating sprints with him? Forget it.

“He’s a horse,” Heinen said. “He’s just an animal.”

Kuraly skates with an intensity that’s tough for anyone to match. He has one of the most gifted strides on the Bruins bench. Combine that with his ability to close in quickly around the net, and Kuraly has emerged as one of the team’s top options when it comes to an ability to stymie an opposing team’s best line.

That’s part of the reason Bruce Cassidy chose to bump Kuraly from the fourth to third line during Game 1 against the Lightning, and it’s likely he’ll be used again to help counter Tampa Bay’s trio of J.T. Miller, Steven Stamkos, and Nikita Kucherov down the road in this series.



“It’s their skill and their finish and the speed they come with in the neutral zone,” Kuraly said of the opposing group.“Their ability to break you down 1-on-1 is probably top of the league for sure. You can’t catch yourself flat-footed anywhere. You’ve got to make sure you’re being a little physical, and make it known that if they want to get to the hard areas on the ice that it’s not going to be easy.

“I think it’s just anything we can really do to help the team and what (Cassidy) wants. When we see (the Stamkos line) we’re helping the team, and that’s rewarding.”

The Lighting have the home advantage in the first two games, which allows them to dictate the last line change. The goal was to deploy the Stamkos unit against the Bruins’ bottom six forwards, one that didn’t pan out in Game 1.

“They worked really hard, which is why they have a role in the playoffs,” Miller said of the Bruins’ charges. “They play fast, physical and they’re responsible defensively. You’ve got to turn the page and move on and we’re ready for Game 2.

Midway through the first period, Kuraly made the jump and replaced Riley Nash. He skated with Heinen and David Backes. Nash slotted in with Tim Schaller and Noel Acciari.

Throughout the season, Kuraly and the Bruins third and fourth lines have been in this position before. He’s seen shifts against Edmonton’s Connor McDavid or Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau – two dynamic young talents.

To prepare for shifts against the Lightning, Kuraly said he studied video of Miller, Stamkos, and Kucherov, but that the real work comes when it’s time to make an in-game adjustment.

When that time came, Kuraly kept his shifts short. Around 35 seconds -- compared to the usual 40 to 45 seconds a shift lasts -- was ideal. The goal, he said, was to help generate offense early in those shifts, and then focus on clamping down the opponent.

“There was no inkling that anything was going to change (before Game 1),” Kuraly said. Well it’s been all year that we’ll go into game sand switch lines and our line has been put in position all year where we’ve faced top lines. It’s been all year where (Cassidy has) shown the confidence in us to put us out there against top lines. Every night, we need to be ready for it even if we don’t get it, because we don’t know when it’s going to come.”

Kuraly will likely start Game 2 on the fourth line, but Cassidy will not hesitate to make the switch if needed. Kuraly and Riley Nash need to play a similar role for the Bruins, but Kuraly’s speed gave him the edge Sunday. After missing the last five games of the regular season and Game 1 of the first round because of an ear laceration, Nash is still catching up to the speed of playoff hockey.

“We trust those guys,” Cassidy said. “We like (Kuraly’s) pace and competitiveness, and the time and space issues with Stamkos and Kucherov, they do a good job. That’s the reason we made the switch. Riley missed some time as well and is still trying to find his game.”