Elias Lindholm calls out his own game after slow start with Bruins
"Wouldn’t put the blame on something else other than myself. I gotta be better.”
The 2024-25 season hasn’t exactly gone according to plan for the Bruins.
Elias Lindholm finds himself in a similar boat in the midst of the first year of a seven-year, $54.25 million contract with Boston.
Several factors have played a part in the Bruins’ sluggish 8-8-3 start, with the lack of scoring punch looming large for a team operating with little margin for error.
The inability of Lindholm to inject some scoring punch into the top-six unit — and especially on the power play — has been hard to miss.
While it might have been a stretch to expect Lindolm to replicate the 42-goal, 82-point campaign he submitted with Calgary in 2021-22, Boston had plenty of hope that the 29-year-old pivot would be a productive player in the middle of the team’s forward corps.
With a full season spent next to David Pastrnak and a featured role secured on Boston’s power play, Lindholm was projected to be a two-way game changer — capable of potting 20+ goals and hovering around 60 points.
But through 19 games with Boston, Lindholm has only recorded nine total points (two goals, seven assists) — with just three of those points coming at 5-on-5 play.
Boston’s power play ranks dead last in the league at 11.3 percent, while a dearth in chemistry between Pastrnak and Lindholm prompted Jim Montgomery to split up the duo late last month.
So far, Lindholm’s tenure with the Bruins has left a lot to be desired — a sentiment he echoed on Sunday while putting the blame squarely on his own shoulders.
“I think overall, for myself, I just haven’t been good enough,” Lindholm said Sunday, per 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Ty Anderson. “Wouldn’t put the blame on something else other than myself. I gotta be better.”
While Lindholm projects as more of a refined two-way centerman than an uber-skilled playdriver, the Bruins had full confidence that his passing ability, knack for finding open ice, and consistent details would elevate the talent around him.
So far, it hasn’t been the case for Boston’s top-free agent pickup.
In the 128:40 of 5-on-5 reps where Lindholm has skated with Pastrnak this season, the Bruins have only scored two goals — while giving up two goals against.
Since getting split up from Pastrnak, Lindholm has primarily skated alongside Brad Marchand — with Boston holding a 3-1 edge in goals scored over their 110:37 of 5-on-5 ice time. However, Boston has been outshot, 55-51, over that stretch.
“If I find my game and are a better player for us, I think my thing has always been I make my teammates better and my linemates better,” Lindholm said. “It’s hard for them when you’re a center that’s supposed to drive a line that’s not playing good enough.
“As long as I’m not getting better, it’s gonna be hard for them.”
Lindholm’s latest scoring slump has been magnified during Boston’s recent two-game skid against the Stars and Blues last week.
Lindholm did not land a single shot on goal in either of those games, with his last tally coming all the way back on Oct. 12 in what was Boston’s third game of the 2024-25 campaign.
He’s far from the only Bruins skater who has more to give when it comes to offensive punch this season. But given both his price tag and his expected role on a Bruins roster short on skill and scoring punch, Lindholm will need to pull on the rope even harder in order to get Boston back on track.
“For myself, I think just gotta be more involved,” Lindholm said. “For 60 minutes, [I’m] not doing too much out there… just kind of skating up and down the ice. I gotta be more involved and want the puck more.”
Viel looking to bring some punch
The Bruins are adding some snarl to the lineup on Monday against the Blue Jackets, with Boston calling up pugnacious forward Jeffrey Viel from Providence. The 27-year-old Viel racked up 114 penalty minutes over 34 games with San Jose in 2021-22, and has posted 331 penalty minutes in each of the last three AHL seasons.
“That’s been my job pretty much my whole career, try to walk that line,” Viel said Monday. “Obviously I want to bring a lot of energy tonight. That’s what I’m gonna try to do…sometimes it’s tough, sometimes you go over the line. You try as much as possible. If I keep my game simple, play hard, play with a lot of energy then it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Other Bruins notes
Andrew Peeke is expected to return to Boston’s lineup on Monday after missing the last five games with an upper-body injury.
Cole Koepke will be a healthy scratch against Columbus, with Viel replacing him on the fourth line.
Mark Kastelic will not play Monday after exiting Saturday’s loss against the Blues due to a lower-body injury, but Montgomery noted on Monday that the team is “hopeful” he’ll be cleared to play Thursday against Utah.
Jeremy Swayman will get the start in net for Boston.
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