The Boston Bruins opened their 2018-19 season on the road with a back-to-back against the Capitals and Sabres — generating two very different reactions in both tilts. The sample size is small, but here are five initial thoughts from the B’s 1-1 start to the new year.
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Expect lineup changes to continue
After a less-than-stellar showing against the Capitals on Wednesday, Bruce Cassidy opted to throw his lineups in the blender for Thursday’s matchup against the Sabres — bumping Ryan Donato up to the second line, slotting Anders Bjork in for Chris Wagner and shuffling around both the third and fourth lines.
While Boston responded with a 4-0 victory over Buffalo, the skaters with entrenched spots in the lineup led the charge — with the top line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak combining for six points in the win.
Cassidy noted Saturday following practice at Warrior Ice Arena that he might keep his revamped lineup intact for Boston’s home opener against the Senators on Monday, but did note that the process of evaluating the lineup is an ongoing process.
“Our team did not have a lot turnover. … The (new) guys, where they fit in, what’s their best chemistry, that’s still a work in progress for John (Moore), finding the right partner,” Cassidy said. “Kind of got done by accident a little bit with Torey (Krug’s) injury. We could have put him with (Brandon) Carlo or (Kevan) Miller.
“We chose Carlo because it was the easiest, that’s where Krug was playing. As for the group, we’re still sorting things out. I guess our lines, our third and fourth lines are kind of changed a bit — who’s playing on the second line. So that’s what we’re still evaluating, which isn’t always ideal going in the year.'
Sure enough, Sunday's lines in practice were juggled once again — with David Backes centering a revamped third line with Danton Heinen and Bjork on the wing.
A lot will hinge on how Boston's bottom six responds Monday, but expect some more shuffling as the week goes on. At least Sunday's third line saw both Bjork and Heinen up from their spot on the fourth line during Saturday's practice.
Finding balanced scoring will be a priority for the Black and Gold — but rolling out a fourth line with a player that opened last year on the top line and a winger that ranked ninth among NHL rookies last year in scoring seemed a bit unorthodox.
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Bruce Cassidy is going to ride the hot hand in net
After sitting out of Thursday’s win over the Buffalo Sabres, it seemed like Tuukka Rask was penciled in to make his return between the pipes for Monday’s home opener. While Cassidy did note Saturday that he was leaning towards starting Rask, he did not make his decision final until Sunday.
We do not have a goalie controversy on our hands — especially two games into the season. But based on past history, it’s apparent that Cassidy is not afraid with spelling Rask for an extended stretch if he’s not performing up to expectations.
Now, had Rask had the same slot coverage and defensive effort in front of him that Jaroslav Halak received Thursday in his shutout performance against the Sabres, then maybe it would be a different story regarding Rask’s current standing.
But Cassidy has faced this conundrum before, as Rask found himself on the shelf last November after opening the year with a record of 3-8-2 and an .899 save percentage. In his place, Anton Khudobin started four straight games — going 4-0 with a .945 save percentage to get the Black and Gold back on track.
There’s a good chance Rask could just bounce back against a lackluster Ottawa team on Monday. But, if last year was any indication, Cassidy isn’t afraid to ride the hot hand if Halak can build off of his showing Thursday.
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David Pastrnak rounding into more and more of a complete player
David Pastrnak has evolved from a promising winger out of the Czech Republic into an offensive dynamo during his five seasons in the NHL, nearing 100 career goals (95) as a 22-year-old forward.
He’s been a game changer for the Black and Gold for years thanks to his speed and advanced offensive tools, but playing on a line with two-way stars in Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand appears to be making an impression on the Pastrnak.
Look no further than Thursday’s game against the Sabres. Pastrnak did what he does best in Buffalo, scoring a goal and using his speed to draw a penalty that led to a power-play tally from Ryan Donato.
But aside from a highlight-reel save by Jaroslav Halak on Sam Reinhart, Pastrnak had arguably the top defensive play of the night. During an impressive backchecking shift, Pastrnak skated into the slot and dived at a crisp feed from Sabres captain Jack Eichel, knocking the puck away from danger.
Pastrnak’s defensive effort prevented a Grade-A scoring chance for Buffalo, while Zdeno Chara lit the lamp down the other end of the ice minutes later to open the scoring. He’s likely never be in the running for a Selke, but Thursday’s performance was a testament to the work that Pastrnak has put in toward becoming a more complete player.
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Lee Stempniak might have a place on this roster after all
While Don Sweeney noted Monday that veteran forward Lee Stempniak had the opportunity to pursue other opportunities after his PTO deal expired on Wednesday, the 35-year-old winger appears to still be in consideration for the B’s after being spotted at practice Saturday morning.
The journeyman was impressive during preseason play with the Black and Gold, tallying two goals and five points over his last two tilts. Stempniak, who played with the B’s in 2016 and lives in Boston, is no longer the consistent 15-20 goal scorer he was a few seasons ago, but he could have value on this Bruins club, especially as a 13th forward.
Currently, both Chris Wagner and Anders Bjork have been scratches during Boston’s two regular-season games — with Cassidy having to choose between sitting one of Boston’s free-agent acquisitions this summer or a 22-year-old forward looking to get back on track after undergoing major shoulder surgery.
Inking Stempniak to a deal could clear up a few lineup questions for Cassidy and Co., especially if the veteran is relegated to a 13th forward role. There’s a good chance that Bjork makes his second-straight start Monday against Ottawa, but keeping a young forward like him up in the NHL ranks but on an inconsistent basis is clearly not the best move for him, especially when he could be hitting the ground running down in Providence while paired up with players like Trent Frederic, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Peter Cehlarik. (See, Vaakanainen, Urho).
In order to maximize Bjork’s development — in the short term, at least — while keeping Wagner fresh, bringing aboard a veteran like Stempniak might be the best move for Boston.
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Charlie McAvoy showing more assertiveness
Touted as a playmaking blue liner, McAvoy didn’t miss much of a step in his transition to the NHL ranks last season, tallying 32 points over 63 games played while ranking second among all NHL rookies in average TOI (22:09). Still, the usual trepidation found in even the most confident rookies was present at times last season with McAvoy, who only fired 77 shots on goal (14th on the team) despite earning top-pairing reps and a defined role on the power play.
Despite a lackluster showing on Wednesday’s loss to Washington, McAvoy showed much more assertiveness in Thursday’s victory over the Sabres, firing two shots in against Buffalo goalie Carter Hutton in 5-on-5 play while notching an assist in 22:40 of ice time. Along with his more confident play, especially within the opponent’s zone, McAvoy also showed some pugnacious attitude in the closing minutes of the contest, getting into a scuffle with Vladimir Sobotka after taking a big hit from the Sabres forward.
It’s the little things, but so far, McAvoy is looking much more confident in his second go-around in the NHL, as expected.