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A content and revitalized Jake DeBrusk continues to deliver for Bruins on big stage
Months after rescinding his trade request, Jake DeBrusk is looking like a star winger for Boston.
Just a year ago, the top thing on Jake DeBrusk’s mind was a change of scenery.
Whether it be his dwindling minutes in the Boston Bruins’ top-six unit or his prickly relationship with Bruce Cassidy, DeBrusk’s standing trade request dominated most headlines surrounding the downtrodden winger during the 2021-22 season.
Once a flicking spark of hope in an otherwise dim prospect pipeline, DeBrusk went from potential 30-goal scorer to an expected trade cast-off — a disappointing conclusion for a young forward who skated onto the scene with so much promise.
But a lot has happened in the ensuing months.
winter classic
On Monday night, DeBrusk had his change in scenery as he took to the frozen sheet at Fenway Park, a stark difference from the friendly confines of TD Garden.
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But the 26-year-old’s sweater hasn’t changed, and such a development has continued to pay dividends for a Bruins team whose faith in DeBrusk hasn’t wavered.
Whether it be the change in Boston’s bench boss over the summer, his regular reps next to both Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci this year, or a refined approach in his sixth NHL season, DeBrusk has looked like a completely different player so far in 2022-23. His heroics in the 2023 Winter Classic once again validated his redemptive arc.
While Linus Ullmark (26 saves) kept his club afloat after a sleepy first 40 minutes, DeBrusk sparked Boston’s third-period rally against the Penguins, scoring both of Boston’s goals in the final 20 minutes of regulation to lift Boston to a 2-1 victory.
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“I think that it’s been a whirlwind, to say the least,” DeBrusk said of his tumultuous last year in Boston. “But it’s obviously something that’s special for this entire group and myself. This is Fenway Park, Winter Classic, and something that you dream of doing. Obviously, you dream of scoring in the Winter Classic. I played in three and we’re just lucky enough to just get bounces tonight.”
While DeBrusk’s tenure in Boston has routinely been marked with peaks and valleys of offensive production, his two-goal outburst on Monday stood as just the latest in a steady line of standout performances for the winger — with DeBrusk now on pace for a career-high 36 tallies over 81 games.
“He’s a lot tougher than people think,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said of DeBrusk. “And he’s more committed than people are aware of. And because of those things, his game is growing. He’s matured and you can see it. I mean, he’s on pace to get over 30 goals. And it doesn’t matter where I use them. He seems to spark the people he plays with.”
DeBrusk’s heroics came at the cost of some postgame ice bags. After exiting the first period early following a slash from a Pens skater, DeBrusk was once again in pain after absorbing a shot from Matt Grzelcyk up high while scrapping down low in the third period.
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But after gathering himself near the create, DeBrusk continued to hover around Grade-A ice and was rewarded just seconds later — jamming a puck past Casey DeSmith to tie the game up at 1-1 with 12:14 to go in regulation.
“That’s good karma,” Nick Foligno said of DeBrusk’s painful battles down low. “That’s what you want. You want that, right? Those are where you go and pay the price to score goals. It’s nice to see him get rewarded. He’s the guy that’s not afraid to get in there. Especially the way — he’s a pretty skilled guy, so he’s not afraid to get his nose dirty. It’s nice to see, as a fellow netfront guy, to get rewarded like that sometimes.”
DeBrusk’s propensity to hover down low once again paid off with just 2:24 left on the clock — with a juicy rebound off a shot from Taylor Hall giving DeBrusk the opportunity he needed to put Boston ahead for good.
“He’s a great guy that wants to get better,” Bergeron said of DeBrusk. “I think it’s been rocky at times in the last few years before that. But that being said, he stuck with it. And he showed some character and we all believe in him and he took it upon himself to work on things in areas that he had to work on. And he keeps getting better and keeps doing that. So happy to have him on our side.”
It’s been far from an easy journey for DeBrusk over the last few years, but for both DeBrusk and the Bruins, there’s no need to dwell on the past.
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Right now, a content and motivated DeBrusk is scoring big goals night in and night out. And they’re going to need more of that if this team wants those wins to continue into the spring.
“Jake has just become a man on a mission this year,” Foligno said of DeBrusk. “I think he’s really excited about the opportunity he’s got. I think he loves this group. And I think he’s really cherishing the opportunity that he has.
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