The last time John Moore got the nod from Bruce Cassidy for a starting spot in the lineup, it wasn’t under the most ideal circumstances.
The Bruins might have held a commanding 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Final against the Hurricanes, but a nagging injury to Zdeno Chara forced Boston’s captain to sit out Game 4 at PNC Arena — with Moore set to play in his first contest in 23 days as the next man up on Boston’s blue line.
Despite the loss of one of their top-pairing options on defense, the Bruins suffocated the Hurricanes en route to a series sweep — limiting the Hurricanes to a paltry three high-danger scoring chances all night as part of a 4-0 victory.
Moore, skating on Boston’s third pairing alongside rookie Connor Clifton, recorded 11:48 of ice time in the victory, blocking a shot while logging at least two minutes of 5v5 TOI against 14 different Hurricanes skaters.
When asked on Friday if his performance against Carolina should be judged on a similar standard as an NFL lineman (if they don’t notice, you’re doing a good job), Moore made sure not to sell himself short.
“I noticed myself, so that’s probably the good,” Moore said. "As cliched as it is, when you’re called upon to do your job, you’ve just got to do it. And I’m ready to do that.”
Fast-forward a little over two weeks later, and Cassidy is set to call on Moore once again — with the veteran skater expected to slot back into the lineup for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final in place of Matt Grzelcyk, who was tabbed as “doubtful” by Cassidy for Saturday’s matchup against St. Louis.
Grzelcyk, who is still in the concussion protocol after getting hit by Blues center Oskar Sundqvist in Game 2, has yet to travel to St. Louis for Games 3 and 4. While Sundqvist will be suspended for Saturday’s matchup, Grzelcyk’s timetable for a return is much murkier — a tough hit for a Bruins D corps that could use the shifty, puck-moving skater to counter what has been a heavy St. Louis forecheck.
While Moore has not been etched into the lineup for good, Cassidy did note that the club was “leaning” on the 28-year-old to make his series debut against the Blues, given that the left-shot defenseman likely wouldn’t shuffle the rest of Boston’s lineup with his inclusion.
“This is why you train, why you prepare, why you take care of yourself,” Moore said of getting the nod. “When you're called upon, it's time to do your job. That's kind of the mentality we've had all year -- next man up. Now it's my turn, I'm ready to go.”
When comparing Moore to Grzelcyk, it seems
rather obvious that Boston’s blue line is in line to take quite the hit. Along with Grzelcyk ability to break the puck out and be used in all situations (1:09 SH TOI / 1:14 PP TOI this postseason), Grzelcyk has led all Bruins skaters this series in terms of Corsi For Percentage (69.57%) — with Boston holding a 16-7 edge in shot attempts during the 14:22 of 5v5 TOI in which the Charlestown native has been out on the ice against St. Louis.
Add in the fact that the Blues have only been able to generate one high-danger scoring chance during that extended stretch of ice time, and few skaters can really replicate what Grzelcyk brings as a third-pairing cog on a D corps.
Through five playoff games this spring, Moore has been out on the ice for five 5v5 goals against in 54:22 of 5v5 TOI, equaling out to a team-worst 5.52 goals against per 60 min. rate — with David Backes the next closest Bruin with a rate of 2.91 GA/60.
They’ve played rather sparingly this season together, but a pairing of Clifton-Moore will likely look for a bit of a rebound after their last outing. While Boston thoroughly dominated the ‘Canes on Game 4, Boston was out-attempted, 11-3, during the 7:12 of 5v5 TOI in which Moore and Clifton were out skating together.
The numbers may not look too stellar for Moore (although over 40 of his minutes this postseason were primarily matched up against a high-octane Maple Leafs offense), but his north-south speed should help in Boston’s efforts to get the puck out of its zone in a hurry. With the Blues succeeding at taking away the center of the ice during breakout attempts, a quick skater like Moore can be useful when it comes to slipping past any pinching St. Louis bodies along the boards.
Moore may not be able to replace all of Grzelcyk’s contributions out on the ice, but if he can keep things simple — evade forecheckers, chip the puck out of danger, make sound first passes — it will go a long way toward making sure Boston avoids falling into the same scheme that the Blues executed to devastating effect up in Game 2.
“The first two games -- to be expected,” Moore said of his take on this series from watching at press level. “In Game 1, feels like both teams were trying to feel each other out early. But as the games have gone on here, you see why both teams are in the finals.
“There’s certainly intangibles on both sides of the puck, they get to (the puck) and they get to it well and likewise for our group. The intensity is obviously going to be there and it’s exciting. We’re playing for the ultimate prize. Nothing to hold back for.”
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