Offered a clean slate amid playoff hockey, Jake DeBrusk delivers against Maple Leafs
"We have a chance to go for the ultimate goal and that’s all that really matters."
Jake DeBrusk didn’t mince words when asked about the past seven months.
“Obviously I didn’t like my season,” the candid winger acknowledged. “Was pretty disappointing, for myself.”
A fresh start was desperately needed for the 27-year-old forward, especially after watching his scoring dip (40 points in 80 games) in the midst of a contract year.
For some NHLers, the expected trepidation that comes with staring at zeroes on the scoresheet might be remedied with time spent away from the rink.
For DeBrusk, it was quite the opposite.
Amid all of the pressure that comes with the outset of a new playoff campaign, there is also opportunity — especially for players looking to put 82 games in the rearview mirror.
And as DeBrusk embraced his teammates at a raucous TD Garden on Saturday night, it didn’t take long for seven months of frustration to feel like a distant memory.
DeBrusk made the most of the clean slate offered by playoff hockey, lighting the lamp twice and adding a primary helper in his team’s 5-1 win over the Maple Leafs.
It marked DeBrusk’s first three-point game since March 19, 2023, as well as the first three-point playoff performance of his seven-year career.
“At this point in time of the year, we have a chance to go for the ultimate goal and that’s all that really matters. Obviously it went well tonight,” DeBrusk said. “It’s exactly what I wanted to do in that sense, but playing against these guys, I know it’s gonna be a long series and that I got to keep that going. … This year is all about staying even-keel.”
Staying in the moment has been an arduous undertaking for DeBrusk at times this season. After putting himself on a 30-goal pace last year (27 tallies in 64 games), the fleet-footed forward seemed destined for a hefty pay raise before hitting unrestricted free agency in July 2024.
No deal has manifested yet for DeBrusk, who further rounded out his two-way game in 2023-24 — but saw his baseline numbers dip amid some sustained O-zone slumps. On four separate occasions, DeBrusk found himself mired in a scoreless stretch that lasted five-plus games, including a nine-game drought from Jan. 24 to Feb. 19.
Entering the postseason, DeBrusk didn’t focus much on individual stats as a barometer for his overall success.
“I just want to play a fast, hard forechecking style,” DeBrusk said. “I didn’t put numbers or anything on it. Obviously the biggest thing that we talk about in the room is we stay in the moment. I didn’t set any goals. I just wanted to help the team any way I can.”
DeBrusk’s wheels and nose for the net paid dividends for his team on Saturday — while making life miserable for Boston’s Original Six foe.
His two tallies — one from the top of the right circle and the other jammed home at Ilya Samsonov’s doorstep — both came on the power play. It was a welcome sight for Boston’s man advantage, which went 3-for-32 over its final 12 regular-season contests.
“I thought Jake was terrific,” Jim Montgomery said. “I thought the majority of the game, I would say that everybody really executed the way we wanted. … It’s nice to see him get rewarded for a lot of the hard work he’s done.”
DeBrusk also wreaked havoc on the forecheck, standing as one of four different Bruins who logged at least five hits on Saturday night.
A strong second-period shift spent fishing out pucks behind Toronto’s net ended when DeBrusk fed a biscuit from the red line that Brandon Carlo hammered home — giving Boston a 2-1 lead.
With DeBrusk and the Bruins’ limiting time and space for Toronto’s puck carriers, the Maple Leafs’ high-powered offense regularly found itself stuck in neutral.
“I think we just won our battles,” DeBrusk acknowledged. “I think that’s the biggest thing when it comes down to teams that are so tight. Kind of like [Brad Marchand] said, it’s a game of balances.
“It’s one of those things where they have so much high-end skill that it doesn’t take much for them to get going and obviously we like to play a defensive style. We try to shut them down as best as we can. We know we can’t stop them, but try to limit them.”
The Stanley Cup Playoffs have served as a springboard for DeBrusk throughout his tenure in Boston — especially against Toronto (12 points in 15 career postseason games). In his last 13 overall postseason contests, DeBrusk has now scored eight goals and posted 13 total points.
A strong postseason run can go a long way toward DeBrusk securing that coveted long-term contract — be it in Boston or elsewhere.
But for now, he only has one goal in mind.
“To win,” he declared with a smile.
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