By: Declan Flavin | Follow me on Twitter / X @FlavinDeclan
The buzz for the acquired and called-up Lukas Reichel has been quite palpable, but it needs to be put in context. He means more as a complement to what the team is trying to do every game than as an individual to build around.
The Boston Bruins have approached this season under a new regime with a forecheck plan, and the roster has been intentional about aligning with it and putting the plan on game-ice. A player like Reichel brings something to that development that can act as a makeshift spark plug to ignite more consistent alignment.
Speed and Explosion Bring the Roster Together
If head coach Marco Sturm wants Morgan Geekie or David Pastrnak to move their feet and get on opposing defensemen, there is only so much they can provide with their natural skating speed and the energy they must expend. As players usually look to this core to further get themselves on the plan, it means a lot to have another player to look to to drag them into the forecheck fight with the right energy level.
Reichel’s goal versus the Winnipeg Jets is an apt example, with a struggling player like Elias Lindholm as one of the first to congratulate him after seeing such a hustle play. Everyone needs to see examples on ice of teammates taking advantage of rushed decision-making by opponents on a breakout.
With the team in a razor-thin fight for a playoff spot, you should be keeping this context as you watch the team and Reichel compete. The Bruins have a goal on the whiteboard every day that they believe will get them to where they want to be.
It’s not about Reichel the reclamation project; it’s about the awareness everyone needs to have about foot speed being an important element of the pressure the team needs to apply to win consistently. If the team can continue to rally around this, they’ll be playing games after the regular season, with James Hagens looming around in the meantime…
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