David Backes was quick to acknowledge postgame that Micheal Ferland’s crushing collision with B’s winger Marcus Johansson was "hard and clean" — even if the hit dropped Boston’s latest acquisition to the ice and out of the contest just minutes into Tuesday’s matchup at TD Garden.
Johansson’s shoulder appeared to take the brunt of Ferland’s punishment, as he eventually skated down the tunnel, doubled over in pain, and not returning for the remainder of the night after logging just 0:59 TOI. Following Boston’s 4-3 overtime win over Carolina, Bruce Cassidy noted Ferland’s heavy check landed Johansson — playing in his fourth game with Boston — in the hospital.
“I’ll give an update tomorrow,” Cassidy said. “It looks encouraging, but I don’t want to speak out of turn. Like I said, I think when all the tests are done, we’ll have a better answer.”
An unfortunate situation — but a result that comes from a game as physically punishing as hockey. And while Ferland’s hit was well within the NHL rulebook, Backes was frank in his notion that the ‘Canes were still going to be held accountable.
“You have to stick up for your teammates,” Backes said. “Whether it was a liberty taken or you know, tonight’s hit which was a hard, clean hit, but if guys are running at our skilled guys we need to hold them accountable and I thought there was an opportunity for me to step up and you know, fill that role.”
Just 38 seconds after Johansson exited the game, Backes filled that role by way of dropping the gloves with Ferland right after a faceoff in Boston’s zone. While the bout didn’t last long — concluding with Ferland landing on top of Backes after landing a few heavy hooks to the body — the Hurricanes forward left the game right after due to an upper-body injury and did not return.
Opting to tussle with Ferland — a traditional power forward with an arsenal of destructive haymakers — came as second nature for Backes, who has seen his role shift away from that of a two-way center during his Blues days and into more of an authority both in the locker room and while patrolling the ice in a bottom-six role.
“It’s been a staple I think, for this organization for a very, very long time,” Backes said of answering the call after teammates are banged up. “Being outside of this organization and playing against these guys, knowing that everything that you did was going to have an extra reason to be accounted for, it makes you maybe think twice before you do something. We can’t lose that with a guy like
Kevan Miller
out of the lineup. (
Zdeno Chara
) is always willing, but we need different guys. It’s been on me for a little bit, but I’m okay with that.”
Sure enough, Backes has been the Bruins’ representative in the ring more often than not as of late. Tuesday’s scrap with Ferland stood as his third fighting major in four games — with the 34-year-old vet also getting into melees with Tampa Bay’s
Adam Erne
last Thursday and San Jose’s
Michael Haley
on Feb. 26.
Even though Backes has started to find a bit more of an offensive footing while matched on a line with
Charlie Coyle
(plus-25 shot attempt differential, eight high-danger scoring chances generated in 47:22 of 5v5 TOI together), it’s clear that Backes’ role has shifted a bit from his top-six days in St. Louis.
Morphing into
Dave Schultz
is obviously not the pivot that Backes or the Bruins are looking for in what Backes can provide this club, but if throwing his weight around and sticking up for his teammates becomes an added focus for the forward, he’ll be happy to oblige.
Backes has already suffered at least two concussions over the span of a year — exiting last year’s playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lighting in May after getting lit up by
J.T. Miller,
while later missing over a week of game action after taking a high hit from Oilers defenseman
Matt Benning
in mid-October. In total, Backes has suffered three concussions since signing a contract with the Bruins back in 2016.
“You start piling them up,”
“It’s not fun no matter when — or if — you have another concussion. But you start adding them up and try working through it. If you’re multiplying them on top of each other, it starts to get dangerous.”
“So, I prefer he doesn’t do it every night, and hopefully this has just been a run where he’s had to do it, but I can’t predict the future. Again, it’s a testament to his character.”
While Backes has had his fair share of head injuries during his tenure in Boston, he noted that all players know the risks involved whenever they lace up their skates for a game — not just when they drop the gloves.
“My wife probably does, but that can’t be a thought in your head when you’re out playing in the NHL,” Backes said of worrying about his concussion history while dropping the gloves. “She might be worried about me driving more than 65 miles per hour on the Pike too and potential car accidents, or whatever else that could come.
“But I think the game is – you look at the stats and you’re not as prone to concussions actually fighting as you are from whiplash or side hits or shoulders to the face or elbows to the face. You know, I guess it’s a calculated decision and if I’m going to stay part of this team and stay a part of a winning team, that’s maybe going to be part of my role and I’m okay with it. It’s sticking up for each other, sticking together again. It’s a staple of what we do here.”
