One of the memorable moments of the Bruins' playoff run last season was the goal Sean Kuraly scored in Game 1 against the Maple Leafs that sent the TD Garden crowd into a frenzy. Kuraly barreled the length of the ice like a freight train without its brakes, then bunted the puck into the net after David Pastrnak’s rebound caromed off the post.
Kuraly tripped over goaltender Freddy Andersen and jumped up to celebrate as the Bruins took a 4-1 lead in the third period.
The goal itself was a beauty, but the decision-making that prefaced the sequence is what best exemplifies the progress Kuraly has made in his career, and why the Bruins rewarded him with a three-year, $3.825 million contract this summer.
What was a fourth-line grinder doing on the ice anyways with Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron? It was textbook time for Kuraly to get off the ice for a change, but he sensed the opportunity brewing. Pastrnak rushed into the zone with two defenders trailing him and Kuraly saw the window to provide some help.
“We talked all year about my decision making, when to go and when not, when to use my speed and when to kinda cool my jets a bit,” Kuraly said recently in an interview with BostonSportsJournal.com. “It’s a spot where Pastrnak is on the ice, and when I see Pastrnak on the ice, it’s time for me to change. And it was probably time for me to change there and you know what, I don’t know why I didn’t. Not to say I'll do it often, but it was just the feeling I had.
“Did I get any better at that skill (batting the puck in)? Probably not, but it comes at the end of the year when I'm feeling confident and want to take a chance to go make it happen.”
The 25-year-old forward had a breakout year on the Bruins fourth line, with six goals and eight assists in 75 games. He made the team out of training camp – an obvious sign that the organization trusted him as their fourth-line center, and Kuraly delivered.
His progress helped him avoid arbitration as a restricted free agent this summer, and more importantly, has Kuraly positioned for a greater role this season.
Without a third-line center after the departure of Riley Nash, Kuraly understands the opportunity is there to compete with free-agent acquisition Chris Wagner, and prospects Jacob Forsbacka-Karlsson, Ryan Donato and Trent Frederic for the vacant position.
“I’m gonna come in every year and be the most ready I can,” said Kuraly, who’s back in Columbus, Ohio, training and skating with some Blue Jackets players and other local talents. “So that’s not going to change for me any year. If I play up or down, it’s their call and I’m gonna do the best I can to be the most impactful player to the best of my ability. Haven't really thought about where I'm going to play as long as I can play as much as I can and help the team the best as I can.”
When Kuraly was at his best last season, he used his speed when he needed to take away space from his opponents and deployed the strength of his 6-foot-2, 205-pound frame to out-muscle others for loose pucks in corners.
He learned when to pick the opportune spots to use those abilities rather than grinding himself down with his aggressive playing style.
For Kuraly, it’s been a slow, winding road to finding that comfort, which started when he was traded to the Bruins from the San Jose Sharks in 2015. Kuraly, drafted No. 133 overall in 2011, was traded to the Bruins in 2015 for goaltender Martin Jones and a first-round pick the Bruins used to select Frederic.
At the time, Kuraly, who had been playing at Miami University in Ohio, was jolted by the deal that rerouted his professional career.
“It was kind of a shock, not something you expect to happen,” Kuraly said. “I already had my mind, my heart, everything set on doing what I possibly could to play with the Sharks. Had buddies I was friends with and eventually wanted to play with. Then all of a sudden your world changes.
“As a young player, getting traded is not something you want to be associated with, but at the same time, the other team wants you to so that's the angle I chose to look at.”
Kuraly finished his college career, played 54 games for Providence in the 2016-17 season and joined the Bruins for eight games that year.
He remembers his first development camp with the Bruins as the one that helped take his mind off the trade and realign his focus. At this summer’s development camp, Kuraly was working out at Warrior Arena and chatted with some of the prospects.
When Kuraly returns for training camp in September, he’ll do so with long-term security and the experience that should once again allow him to be a solid piece of the Bruins bottom-six rotation.
“I just want to play and that’s what I’m going to be able to do,” Kuraly said. “The chance to stick around for a little longer you would have expected out of a restricted free agent, but that's something I wanted. I like where I am, like the organization, the city, and really I just believe in the team and the direction it's going in.”
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