With addition of Karson Kuhlman to lineup, Bruins look to fight size with speed in Game 6

ST. LOUIS — One more loss stands between the Bruins and a crushing end to a spirited Stanley Cup run, but Bruce Cassidy and the Bruins aren’t prepared to punch their way out of a 3-2 deficit against the Stanley Cup Finals.

So far this series, fighting brawn with, well … more brawn hasn’t exactly played into the Bruins’ favor, with Boston often hemmed in by a heavy Blues forecheck and laboring when its come to winning puck battles along the boards.

These aren’t the Big Bad Bruins of yesteryear, nor have their returned to their old roots when they’ve operated at their best this season. With that in mind, the B’s are embracing one facet of the game that they hold a clear edge over the Blues in a do-or-die Game 6 — speed.



Returning back to a regular 12F-6D lineup structure for Sunday’s bout at Enterprise Center, Cassidy has opted to slot out David Backes for the second straight game, and will add rookie Karson Kuhlman into the mix.

It’s a big ask for Kuhlman, who hasn’t played since Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Blue Jackets, all the way back on April 30. Still, Kuhlman’s wheels and solid two-way game should help a Bruins forward corps that’s labored when it’s come to getting past St. Louis’ wall of big-bodied defensemen and into Grade-A areas around Jordan Binnington.

“It’s been a dream since you’re a little kid to play in the Cup Finals. I’m just going to do everything I can to help the team win. ... That’s one of the things I do well.” Kuhlman said of his speed. “I’m trying to stick to those, be hard on pucks and be a good 200-foot player and get up and down the ice.”

Even in limited minutes, Kuhlman has found success this season when rolled into a top-six spot with David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk, who have only been on the ice for five 5v5 goals for the Bruins in 201:22 of ice time this postseason.

While Backes added a physical edge to the lineup, the 74-46-42 trio was out for just three 5v5 goals in favor of Boston (and four goals against) in 87:25 of TOI in the playoffs. Not exactly what you want to see from one of your top-six combos.

“Backes is a little more straightforward, chip and chase, get behind you,” Cassidy said. “We always felt David played his best hockey in a (Sean) Kuraly role, or (Joakim) Nordstrom. It’s just we’ve got (Noel) Acciari, we’ve had (Chris) Wagner there. So there’s only a limited amount of roles carved out for that style.

“And David has been fine. He’s matched up physically well, it’s just a decision we made to be a little different. Maybe Krech sees a few more pucks in the neutral zone, get a little off the rush, speed on the original forecheck. We’ll see how it plays out.”

Of those five 5v5 goals that Krejci and DeBrusk have been on the ice for this postseason, two have been with Kuhlman skating at right wing, with that line generating six high-danger scoring chances and relinquishing zero goals against in 35:46 of ice time.

They were even more effective during the regular season, with Boston tallying eight 5v5 goals in a little over 68 minutes of TOI. That’s good for a goals for per 60 min. rate of 7. That’s by far the highest rate of any Bruins forward line that logged at least 50 minutes of 5v5 TOI together during the regular season, with a combo of Krejci, David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand ranking second with a GF/60 mark of 4.51.

Whether it be exploding through the neutral zone or getting the Blues skaters to react under duress and draw holding or interference penalties, Kuhlman could be the cog that gets that Krejci line going. At the very least, it’s a better option than what they’ve rolled out so far, and they don’t have much more wiggle room.

“He’s got a good motor. … He’s good on the walls, he’s quick,” Cassidy said of Kuhlman. “Good forecheck motor. The challenge for him will be like a lot of our guys getting inside on this big heavy D. He is fast and responsible. What I found with him throughout if he sat for stretches of time, we didn’t lose him. The power plays, penalty kills, shorten our bench.

“He came back and gave us the same energy which is pretty impressive for a young guy. Usually you got to get them back on board. He was a winner in college and has a lot of those good attributes. He’s used to playing in a support role. So that’s why we’re using him tonight.  We did it in Toronto in important games. We’re not nervous about how he’ll handle the moment. I’m sure he’ll have some butterflies, like everyone else this time of year. But I think he’ll get right into and I feel like he can help us win.”