Ryan: Why the Bruins' motivated veteran core could give them a major advantage in a postseason rife with uncertainty

A full team stretch at center ice might have signaled the end of the Bruins’ regular drills on Tuesday morning, but few left the scuffed sheet of ice at Warrior Arena once Day 2 of Boston's Return To Play Camp was largely in the books. 

Down one end of the ice, players fine-tuned their shots, wristing and rifling pucks into twine. Down the other end, players tipped pucks down near the crease and tried to bury chances against Dan Vladar and Max Legace. 

But as dozens of NHLers lined up near the blue line on either side of the ice, a smaller party stood resolute near center ice.

For over five minutes, the Bruins’ veteran group of Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Brad Marchand and Torey Krug held court together — a meeting of the minds between a group of five skaters that have each played a role in three Stanley Cup Final appearances this decade. 

Given the times we live in, there’s an awful lot to discuss.

If the Bruins are to see this season through and hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup once again, it’s all but a certainty that these five skaters (along with fellow veteran Tuukka Rask) will play a major role in Boston’s conquest. 

“You go back to generations of different players that have done great things for the Bruins — I think those guys are right up there,” Bruce Cassidy said.

But in 2020, the grind that comes with being the first club to claw out 16 postseason victories is far from the only hurdle awaiting the 24 teams heading up to Toronto and Edmonton.

For all the safety measures and health protocols enacted by the NHL and local governments to curtail spread, all it takes is a string of positive tests for COVID-19 to completely scuttle a team’s playoff hopes in short order — or even worse, tank what’s left of this salvaged season.

As such, the onus will fall on the players themselves to take the necessary steps to keep themselves out of harm's way — especially during a two-week stretch in Phase 3 in which players will not be monitored aside from the time they clock in and out of their team facilities for on-ice work.

Whether it be in game situations or during practice, many eyes in Boston's locker room often turn to the likes of Chara, Bergeron and that entire crew — a prudent decision, given the lengthy resume that the Bruins' leaders have etched out for themselves over the years.

Such reverence could come in handy these days, with the sway that Boston's veterans command potentially giving the Bruins a tangible advantage in a postseason set to be poised to be marked by setbacks and sacrifice.



Cassidy is cognizant of his veterans' ability to both inspire and lead by example — both on and off the ice. He hasn't had to waste time harping on the basic health protocols (wearing masks indoors, social distancing) with that core group. However, the B's bench boss has asked his top players to echo such sentiment to the rest of the club, whether it be on the ice, in the locker room, in group chats and just about any other avenue one can think of.

"We asked them to police a little more maybe, but we're asking all the individuals — you have to be more responsible just because of the coronavirus. It's that simple," Cassidy said. "This isn't just related to hockey. It's all the pro sports that are trying to start up, it's college sports trying to get going, it's communities — it's everybody, to social distance, to mask up when necessary. It's even more important for us, because if one person gets infected, it could go through your whole team and could hurt your chances if that were to happen, especially with the protocol.

"So we're leaning on everybody here, all the individuals, especially that are planning on being in the bubble to take care of themselves the next two weeks, and we're hoping they'll be responsible. We're asking the leadership — I'm not sure if it's every day where we're drilling into them, but can we carry that message and make sure that players understand what's at stake. 'You guys have been through it a little bit more and you know the sacrifices required to win a Stanley Cup.' And our players listen to them, so we hope that that's the case. And other than that, it's what we've always asked them, be the best players at practice, demonstrate good work ethic and tutor when you can to the young guys off the ice and show up to play and play hard and play the right way. So I'll keep asking."

A chance to hoist hockey's top prize this summer should be motivation enough for all teams taking part in this revamped playoff format, but it's easy to spot how this Bruins' core might have an even larger dog in this fight when it comes to capturing the Cup.

Aside from the scars that haven't healed following last June's crushing loss to St. Louis, it's far from a given that this group will continue to remain intact in the coming years.

Chara turned 43 in March, while Krug is set to enter uncharted waters in free agency this fall. Bergeron will turn 35 on July 24, while his linemate in Marchand celebrated his 32nd birthday back in May. Krejci, who will become an unrestricted free agent in 2021, is 34 years old.

With this crew only having so much left to give to this Original Six franchise, Bergeron has stressed the need for players to not jeopardize what could be one of Boston's best shots at a Cup with this current roster intact.

"I think professionalism is going to be huge," Bergeron said. "We need to rely on everyone for this thing to happen and to work. Right now in Phase 3, you're allowed to go home and, you know, we're not going to babysit you on your whereabouts and all that. So it's about trusting one another and making sure that everyone, you know, is doing the right thing and is committed for this thing to work and to go forward. So I think that's the most important thing is to be professionals about it and, you know, be smart and use common sense. ... We want to approach this as as climbing a mountain — everyone's at the bottom and you have to climb and take one step at a time and you can't look past that."

And while Cassidy expects Boston's veterans to lead the way, that effort must be reciprocated by the Bruins' growing number of younger skaters, all of whom will be fighting tooth and nail at a shot for hockey glory – both for themselves and their veteran leaders.

"It will mean a little bit more," Cassidy said of the club that emerges victorious this fall. "I think as well, the guys that are leaving their families have to pull on the rope, but that's for the young guys as well. It's not easy to be sort of contained and not be able to go where you want, do what you want, when you want. But that's where the young guys have to I think pitch in a little more as well. Knowing that, 'Hey, these guys are leaving their wives and young children for an undetermined amount of time.' That's a big sacrifice.

"It's part of the job requirement this year. So that's the way it is. But that's where the young guys have to step up a little too here now. We're going to talk about that as well. It's not always incumbent on the veteran guys to be big brother. There are certain situations, yes, we need it, we want it. They're willing to do it. But there's also a situation here where a little brother can pull on the rope a little harder too on the days that some of the veteran guys are dealing with maybe some issues back home that they're not able to do because they're in a bubble."

At this point, there isn't much else that the likes of Chara and Bergeron need to add to their legacies to solidify themselves as some of the greatest players to ever don a black and gold sweater.

Another Cup win would be a fantastic complement to a couple of Hall-of-Fame careers. But leading the way to a championship this summer — under conditions that the NHL has never seen before (and hopefully never will again)? Now, that would be something.

"I think it'll mean a lot for those guys, and they'll be talked about for years to come," Cassidy said. "Whatever team is able to prevail, because of the circumstances. The sacrifices being made and the conditions and the adversity we're playing through, it's probably a little bit different. I've said it all along, you have to make sacrifices to be a Stanley Cup champion, no matter what, no matter what year. But this year, they're a little more unique than other years."