NHL Notebook: Bruins legends feel B's are in good hands with Marchand, McAvoy, Poitras

The Bruins rolled out the gold carpet for the organization's biggest stars among Wednesday's centennial festivities ahead of the season-opener.

Just as the 100th season for the Black and Gold will mark the end of one chapter for the franchise, it'll also signal the beginning of a new era, one that will see Brad Marchand at the helm as captain. 

Marchand has been handed the unenviable task of following up the likes of Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron. But who better to learn from along the way?

Bergeron, now enjoying the retirement life as the family Uber, feels his former linemate is more than ready for the responsibility that comes with donning the 'C.' His advice was simple. 

“My only advice was probably to just be himself,” Bergeron said pregame Wednesday. “Leadership is by committee and letting other guys grow. Having that core with you and letting them take charge. Marchy has just been around for so long. He’s got the experience."

Bergeron and others – like Shawn Thornton, Marchand's linemate on the fourth line when No. 63 broke in as a full-timer in 2010-11 – feel his drive is part of what will make him an effective leader.

“He’s competitive as we all know. It’s the perfect combination to be a great captain and a great leader," Bergeron said. "As I said before, he’s an amazing friend. Happy for him. He doesn’t need any advice from me.”

Upon earning the honor, Marchand said he could have never imagined serving as captain, especially early in his career when he was slumming it on the fourth line with Thornton and Gregory Campbell. 

"I don't think Thorty and Soup would ever let me think that was gonna happen," Marchand said at the time. "They would have beat that out of me pretty quick."

Looking back, Thornton said he both did and didn't see it in the cards. 

“He’s always had the desire and the work ethic,” Thornton said Wednesday. “He’s a character guy. Behind the scenes, as you guys know now, he did a lot of the right things. I texted him right after. I’m happy for him. That’s a huge honor. He deserves it.”

Still, Marchand's reputation as the 'Little Ball of Hate' may always precede him. 

“I think if I played against him, I’d hate him,” Terry O’Reilly, aptly nicknamed 'Taz,' said. “But he wears the 'B.' So I love him.” 

There may be no greater compliment from a player such as O'Reilly, who echoed a sentiment that many fans likely maintain. Nevertheless, Marchand has become more than a pest, establishing himself as one of the league's best left-wingers over the last several seasons. As far as the B's go, he continues to propel himself into a class of his own. 

“If he’s not the best left wing in Boston Bruins history, maybe Chief is in the discussion,” Mike Milbury said. “But that’s about it.” 

Beyond a vaunted run of leadership that Marchand intends to continue, few have also churned out the number of elite defensemen that the Bruins have over their 100 years. 

Whether it be Bobby Orr, Eddie Shore, Brad Park, Ray Bourque or Zdeno Chara, each era in Boston's rich history has featured at least one game-breaking stud on the backend, either as a homegrown talent or as a savvy acquisition. Now, it's the likes of Charlie McAvoy and even Hampus Lindholm carrying on the tradition of a stout blue line. 

McAvoy has been the ace on the backend since Chara's departure, earning a pair of top-five finishes in Norris Trophy voting. It's part of what has drawn lofty comparisons – such as Bourque, according to Cam Neely – for the 25-year-old, but the Bruins believe there is a higher ceiling for McAvoy, especially if he truly wants to live up to the company.

“He can log big minutes like Ray could, and defensively is strong… offensively is the area where he’s lagging a little bit from where Bourque was," Neely said earlier this week at media day. "Charlie… I think we’d all like to see him shoot the puck more because he does have a good shot. I think he’d be more dangerous if he shot the puck more, and that’s one thing that Ray loved to do, is shoot the puck. So, as someone that stands in front of the net and takes a beating, I loved that.”

Bourque also feels the sky is the limit for No. 73. 

"He’s got the whole game,” he said Wednesday. “He’s got the physical game, the skating game. He’s got some great vision, the shot. He has instincts that are very special. I love watching him play. I think the potential is unlimited."

Chara had a front-row seat to McAvoy's entrance into the NHL, and like Bourque, he feels he is still just scratching the surface of his full potential. 

“You can sense from the time he stepped on the ice that he was going to be a special player,” Chara told reporters. “He’s proving that he’s getting better and better. He’s really finding himself in that mode where he’s going to be very steady and solid for many years. I think he’s gonna still improve. He’s got so much more room to improve. Of course, he’s going to add to that with his leadership. I’m excited for him.”

Also helping to usher in this new era of Bruins hockey is 19-year-old Matt Poitras, regardless of if he makes it through the full 82 games or not. The rookie has proven that the future down the middle might not be as bleak as previously suspected after turning heads at development camp before rookie camp and then training camp and the preseason. 

Much like Bergeron 20 years ago, Poitras passed every test put in front of him this fall, refusing to let the B's send him back to junior. His emergence as a potential top-six pivot for the long haul has been a major sigh of relief for an organization that has had it's share of challenges when it comes to drafting and developing. 

“I think it’s great,” Bergeron said. “It just shows that the future is bright and you can’t say anything but good things about this franchise and how important it is for them to kind of make sure this team stays strong for years to come. And to see a kid like that kind of pushing his way into the lineup, you’ve got to love that competitiveness but also that will to want to make an impact and stay.”

Bruins unveil All-Centennial team

After Wednesday's gold carpet, the B's rolled out the red carpet downtown at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel for the centennial gala and the unveiling of the All-Centennial team, comprising of the 12 forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders deemed to be the best in franchise history by a committee of local and national media members. 

“It’s special,” Marchand told reporters before the gala. “A lot of the guys that have come through are guys we looked up to over the years, and they’ve built the foundation and the culture that we still try to strive to accomplish every single day. To have them in the building, and we got to meet a number of the guys after [the season-opener], it’s pretty special.”

Here is the official All-Centennial team:

Forwards: Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, David Krejci, Rick Middleton, Wayne Cashman, Johnny Bucyk, Cam Neely, Phil Esposito, Terry O'Reilly, Bill Cowley, Milt Schmidt

Defense: Zdeno Chara, Ray Bourque, Dit Clapper, Brad Park, Eddie Shore, Bobby Orr

Goalie: Frank Brimsek, Gerry Cheevers

It's hard to go wrong with any of these selections, although there were a number of players who weren't included that were more than deserving, whether it be Derek Sanderson or especially Tuukka Rask and Tim Thomas. Still, I think the committee got it right. 

Just for kicks, here's what I'd go with if I were to try to make a lineup out of it:

Johnny Bucyk -- Phil Esposito -- Cam Neely
Brad Marchand -- Patrice Bergeron -- David Pastrnak
Terry O'Reilly -- David Krejci -- Rick Middleton
Bill Cowley -- Milt Schmidt -- Wayne Cashman

Bobby Orr -- Ray Bourque
Zdeno Chara -- Brad Park
Dit Clapper -- Eddie Shore

Gerry Cheevers
Frank Brimsek

Bruins hoping early goal can spark Frederic

After a boom last season that saw him net 17 goals and 31 points, Trent Frederic started off on the right foot by scoring Boston's first goal of the season on Wednesday. 

The center-turned-winger is tasked with playing a key role on a new-look third line with Poitras and Morgan Geekie. The B's are hoping that getting on the board early in the season can help spur continued offensive growth from Frederic. 

"I think it's important and it's important for any player to get that first one or the way for the year. You know, he can relax and now you start to play with a little more confidence and start to get through your game easier," Montgomery said Thursday at Warrior Ice Arena. " As the season goes on, if someone hasn't had a goal and 10 games they start to press."

The goal came from Frederic parking himself in front of the crease and tipping in Brandon Carlo's shot. Producing around the net has been an area that he's talked about wanting to improve in. A bigger body standing at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, Frederic understands it can be a key for him as he continues to develop his game. 

"It's been a focus for us as a group. And I think Freddie knows ... he's really skilled there, like, he's a real gifted athlete. So we talked to him about being in those areas," Montgomery said. "We thought he got good at it last year, and I'm happy to hear that he's telling you guys he wants to be even better at it because that is something that we need not only from him, but several of our forwards to be a more efficient offensive team from O-zone play."

Connor Bedard (and his coverage) is the real deal

The 18-year-old phenom is a point-per-game player two games into his NHL career after picking up an assist in his debut on Tuesday before scoring his first goal on a wraparound against the Bruins on Wednesday. 

Bedard's dynamic offensive game has been on full display, whether it's his quick release, willingness to fire the puck at all times, his creative hockey sense or his shifty skating. He should continue to get better as he physically matures, too. So far, it's easy to see why the youngster is so highly touted. 

“Elite skill,” Lucic said of the rookie after Wednesday's game. “Elite skater. Great vision. Obviously, an unbelievable shot. I know he’s only two games in. But he’s going to keep getting better and better. I think he’s going to be the real deal.”

With both of his games to this point coming on national broadcasts (ESPN, then TNT), Bedard has naturally been the center of attention for most of the two nights. 

On Tuesday it was ESPN calling him 'The Next One,' there was a rough comparison to Michael Jordan in a question during a media scrum and TNT even rolled out a graphic that said "Chasing Greatness," displaying Wayne Gretzky's goal record (894) and Bedard's total (1). 

“He knows how to handle this with grace off the ice, just to get him back on the ice, because that's where he seems to be most comfortable,” Richardson said. 

Still just a teenager, Bedard is mature beyond his years. Like the hyped-up mega-stars before him like Connor McDavid or Sidney Crosby, he's got a good head on his shoulders to be able to handle the fanfare and at times the craziness.

“I think I've gotten better every day with all [the attention],” Bedard said. “I don't think it’s something that I'm really too focused on. I just want to play hockey and be with my teammates and everything, so that's been with me for a little bit now and just something I don't really focus on, to be honest.”

My unsolicited two cents: As in your face as some of the coverage has been so far, it's ultimately good for the league. I think they dropped the ball on marketing McDavid like this when he first entered the league. If we consistently rag on how the league markets their stars, it's not necessarily fair to get on them when they try to do it like the NBA would, for example. 

Loose pucks

Lucic had an impressive return in Black and Gold on Wednesday, playing well enough that he even earned a brief promotion to the top line with David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha in the second period. He assisted on Pastrnak's eventual game-winning goal, thanks to a slick backhand feed on the rush. He also had a hit in 13:139 of ice time. Montgomery and the Bruins knew Lucic would be a big contributor in the leadership department and with his physicality. But the skipper believes his skill is still overlooked: "I think his ability to make plays is very underrated by everybody. You know, he's a guy that can make finishing plays we saw in the exhibition season and we saw it last night. That backhand sauce, not a lot of people make that play that easily at full speed. But if he keeps playing like this, obviously he is gonna get rewarded with more ice time than maybe even I envisioned, never mind everybody else and that's because he's building the team game and he's making plays. ... Last night that's, that's a good night."

A contributing factor to Lucic's brief promotion was the lack of chemistry in the top six as the top two lines looked choppy and a bit out of touch with each other for stretches on Wednesday. That'll happen when the two centers that had been there for 20 years are no longer around. Montgomery, always apt to tinker last season, feels it'll be better to give the lines more rope in the early going as they try to build connections with so many new looks: "That's the way I envision handling it, let them play it out and have the opportunity to make more plays with each other. But as the game goes on, I find in the third period, you've to trust your gut no matter what's going on. And if you see an opportunity to get someone in a position where you think two players are clicking, and they could click right there, I think you got to do that in the third. We'd be more patient in the first and second."