Beyond baseline stats, Nick Foligno’s impact already being felt on & off ice for Bruins

The stats don’t exactly jump off the page when it comes to sizing up Nick Foligno’s impact through his first five games in a black-and-gold sweater.

One point — a primary helper back on Oct. 16 during the Bruins’ season debut.  

Seven shots on goal. 

Nineteen hits? As advertised for the hard-nosed veteran. 

Granted, at this stage of his career, the 34-year-old Foligno isn’t necessarily expected to reach the same 20-goal, 50-point output that he regularly achieved during his tenure as captain of the Blue Jackets. 

Sure, the Bruins will welcome any and all production that the forward can inject into Boston’s middle-six forward corps. But for Bruce Cassidy and the rest of the Bruins, Foligno’s value both on the bench and in the room can’t always be quantified in baseline stats.

"I was pumped when we signed him — playing against him, he's not a fun guy to play against,” Charlie Coyle said. “He's got a little grit, he can play both positions. He's got skill. He's kinda got everything, he's got an all-around game. So I like playing with a guy like that, who plays any type of game that it calls for.

“You know what you're going to get from him, he plays hard. He's gonna play hard in the corners and control pucks. ... He's just a very valuable guy to have on your team and especially on your line.”

Be it in a top-six role next to Coyle and Taylor Hall, or slotted up to the netfront spot on the first power-play unit, Foligno’s propensity to entrench himself as a monolith in Grade-A ice has been a welcome sight for a Bruins’ team struggling to consistently generate quality chances outside of that top forward line.

It’s far from a glamorous gig — with consistent point production far from a guarantee outside of the fortuitous deflection or rebound put-back — but planting a bigger body like Foligno down low to screen the netmidner and create havoc at the foundations of defensive structure often stands as an essential ingredient when it comes to brewing an effective O-zone shift. 

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that on both of Charlie McAvoy’s goals on Sunday night against Montreal, No. 17 was planting himself down low in the blue paint — joining in the scrum on McAvoy’s 5v5 equalizer before putting his frame in Sam Montembeault's line of sight on McAvoy’s power-play snipe from the high slot. 

Again, no points to account for on either goal — and he became collateral damage after getting steamrolled by McAvoy on that opening goal — but Foligno’s efforts served as a crucial piece to the puzzle when it comes to putting a so-so B’s offense back on track.

Of course, Foligno can’t be the only one on the B’s roster responsible for scrapping down low and absorbing the punishment that comes with operating in high-danger ice. But for Cassidy, the lead-by-example approach employed by veterans like Foligno and Patrice Bergeron can often be infectious when it comes to getting other forwards to follow suit in a game setting.

“That's what he does,” Cassidy said of Foligno’s netfront presence. “And I do think that Bergeron does that as well as anybody. So it's almost like, you're trying to build lines sometimes with that in mind. Like, who's going to be the net presence, especially with Hall and Coyle, right?  

“I think that's where Nick can complement that line — is he will go there or if it's Haula and DeBrusk. But we've tried to put the emphasis on that when we talk about O-zone principles — there needs to be a net presence and like a lot of things with the Boston Bruins, when it's your turn, it's your turn, right? And it's not designated every time. 

"Yes, Nick likes to go there, he's good at it. Bergy, he does it a lot. But Pasta, when it's your turn to go to the net — go to the net. That's something you just kind of keep grinding away on and you hope over time that they accept it.”

Those on-ice contributions might sometimes go under the radar, but Foligno’s presence in a locker room and the energy he exudes are often the first things brought up when it comes to what the winger can provide to a team. 

Such was the reason why Boston targeted him in free agency back in August. Even though the 2021-22 Bruins certainly aren’t lacking in terms of an established veteran presence in the room, Foligno offers a bit of a different dynamic, serving as a shot in the arm further down in the lineup. 

"I just think these are the intangibles of why you sign players, why players have value that you might not see just watching the hockey game or whatever sport. He has those," Cassidy said of Foligno. "Bergy and March are our vocal guys for obvious reasons, leaders in the room, best resumes, etc. They have letters on their sweaters for a reason.

"But they've got to play against, a lot of times, really good lines every night, kill penalties, top power play. There's pressure on them to produce.  Now to come off the ice and try to get everyone else pulled into the fight, some nights it's just a lot to ask over 82 games. That's where Nick Foligno can really help you. He's been there, he knows the appropriate time to stand up, he knows the appropriate time to make something happen on the ice to get the other guys into the fight."

 For Foligno and the Bruins, more reps should hopefully give way to more consistent offensive production. 

But just a few months into his Bruins tenure, Foligno already feels right at home with a new group of skaters. 

And his new teammates sure seem to echo that sentiment. 

“You're learning new things about your teammates every day — which is something I said I love doing," Foligno said. "I love trying to find ways to bring out the best in people. As an older player, you enjoy that. You enjoy what makes someone tick and I think we're enjoying finding that out about each other.”