Bruins’ weekly 3 Stars: Claude Julien’s line changes bring small offensive improvement
COMMENTARY
It has become clear that the Boston Bruins will be a frustrating team to watch at times this season. This reality was reinforced again on Thursday: After taking a 2-0 lead over the Anaheim Ducks, the Bruins fell 4-3 in the end on their third game in four nights.
There was still some good that came out of this week for the Black and Gold as they earned three points. Two came in an emotional overtime win in Montreal while one came in a loss to the Penguins in an exciting back-and-forth contest.
Showing more balance in the scoring department, the Bruins got needed contributions from their four lines. Here’s a look at some of those players that stood out in the latest edition of Weekly 3 Stars:
Austin Czarnik
In a span of one week, Czarnik doubled his goal total for the season.
The former Miami University standout suffered a concussion at the end of the preseason from a hit that caused Flyers defensemen Radko Gudas to serve a six-game ban. The effects seem to have carried over for a little while. In three games this week, Czarnik appeared to showcase some of his potential with goals against the Habs (on his birthday) and Ducks.
With players like Frank Vatrano (sent down to Providence for a conditioning assignment in time for the Baby B’s game on Friday) on the verge of returning to the lineup, Czarnik’s role as a third line scorer could change in the weeks ahead. As long as he’s showcasing speed and assertiveness in all three zones, Claude Julien and the rest of the coaching staff will find a spot for the 24-year-old.
David Krejci
Like the rest of the team, Krejci’s season has been a little bit of a rollercoaster. With goals in back to back games, the 30-year-old is at least trending in the right direction, even with a minus-3 rating against Anaheim.
Offensively, Krejci has arguably been one of the better players over the last three games, tallying two goals while finding other ways to get pucks in deep for quality scoring chances. His goal against Pittsburgh on Wednesday snapped a 4-game pointless skid and he followed that up one night later by tallying the Bruins’ first power play goal in more than a week.
Reuniting with David Pastrnak is giving Krejci a little more space to work with. Adding Vatrano to that line should only help Krejci in his second line center duties.
Matt Grzeclyk
In a span of 48 hours, Grzeclyk lived the dream that every local kid has of one day playing for the Bruins.
After a solid showing in Providence, where he tallied 12 points in 23 games, the former Boston University captain made his NHL debut Wednesday night in Pittsburgh — the same city where the Bruins drafted him in 2012. One night later, with friends and family in attendance — including his father John, a member of the TD Garden bull gang — the Charlestown native donned the Black and Gold for the first time on Causeway Street.
Though he didn’t tallied a single point in his first two games, Grzeclyk found time on the power play in addition to his role on the third defensive pair. He was assigned back to Providence on Saturday, but his showing was not bad for a player still adjusting to the speed and physicality of the highest professional hockey rank in North America.
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