Jake DeBrusk’s celly was a bit more restrained on Tuesday night.
The Bruins’ designated master of celebrations may not usually light the lamp off of the flashiest of sequences, but DeBrusk revels in a simple tip-in or potted rebound all the same — capping off a tally with an emphatic fist pump or a slide down the sheet.
But following his deflection of a David Krejci feed that found twine, DeBrusk simply pointed to the rafters above – thanking the higher forces at play for putting an end to an extended scoring drought.
“It’s something that’s long overdue and something that I needed, to be honest with you,” DeBrusk said following Boston’s 6-3 trouncing of the Blackhawks. “Obviously, didn’t do my normal celly, but it was just nice to get on the board to help the team.”
The return of #CellySZN.@JDebrusk | #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/5Pi5DEmSUp
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) February 13, 2019
Boston’s largely listless offense showed plenty of punch on Tuesday — the B’s first game without their top goalscorer in David Pastrnak,
due to thumb surgery. Boston’s new top line has continued to hum at a frighteningly efficient rate in the offensive zone — with once-scratched forward Danton Heinen now up to three goals and six points in his last four outings.
Peter Cehlarik
found the back of the net on the power play, while the fourth-line trio of
Sean Kuraly, Noel Acciari
and
Chris Wagner
hemmed the ‘Hawks in with a relentless forecheck all night.
But when looking at the big picture, it’s hard to not be most encouraged by the play of DeBrusk, who capped off his night with three points — surpassing his scoring outpoint from the previous 13 games played.
Poised for a breakthrough sophomore season after tallying 16 goals and posting 43 points during the 2017-18 campaign, DeBrusk has been one of many young B's skaters that has yet to settle into a groove so far — due in large part to some extended cold stretches.
okay I’m kind of sick of doing this, it isn’t working at all
go back and be yourself
Based on pre-scout video,
Bruce Cassidy
and his staff noted the Blackhawks have labored this year in terms of keeping the slot locked down in front of
Collin Delia
— giving a tenacious winger like DeBrusk the perfect opportunity to operate in his office during drives to the net.
“Chicago, at least by their analytics, not a great slot-coverage team,” Cassidy said. “It’s probably why their goals against is high, so we focused on getting pucks and people in there. We did a real good job with that, especially the second period. The goalie made some terrific saves, but we stuck with it and eventually did get rewarded.”
The open ice down low allowed DeBrusk to pounce early and often, with the winger helping Boston generate a commanding 72.00 Corsi For Percentage (an 18-7 edge in attempts) during the 10 minutes of 5v5 ice time that he was out for — to go along with a dominant 6-0 cushion in high-danger scoring chances.
DeBrusk’s tendency to hover around the crease often led to him being the top threat on Delia’s radar, as the winger closed out the game with the most individual high-danger chances generated on the Bruins with three on the night.
The sequence leading up to his first goal since Jan. 8 won’t land him on any highlight reels, but it was the exact spot that Cassidy wants his winger to be in — ready to cash off a loose biscuit or crisp feed.
Scoring has tended to come in waves for DeBrusk this season — with the youngster generating close to half of his scoring output this season off a 10-game stretch in November that saw him tally seven goals and add in a pair of assists.
Getting DeBrusk back into a groove will do wonders for a Bruins club that will still need plenty of contributors to keep its inconsistent scoring afloat over the next couple of weeks. Obviously, DeBrusk is looking for more than just the ebbs and flows of a hot and cold stretches in his overall game, but for now, he’ll take the three-point night.
After all, it could be the start of something big — with plenty more emphatic cellys potentially on the way.
“It actually got to me a little bit, but at the same time I understood that there are peaks and valleys to your seasons and that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and when you get through it, it’s going to be a lot of fun and hopefully I’ve gotten through that,” DeBrusk said. “Obviously, going into the next game, it’s a different game don’t get me wrong, but for the first time in a while, I’m feeling good right now.”