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By Mike Cratty | Follow me on Twitter @Mike_Cratty
Home: Boston Bruins
Away: Philadelphia Flyers
Boston’s Lineup
Forwards
Marchand – Bergeron – Pastrnak
DeBrusk – Krejci – Studnicka
Bjork – Coyle – Kuhlman
Nordstrom – Kuraly – Wagner
Defense
Chara – McAvoy
Krug – Carlo
Grzelcyk – Lauzon
Goalies
Halak
Vladar
Philadelphia’s Lineup
Forwards
Giroux – Couturier – Voracek
Laughton – Hayes – Konecny
van Riemsdyk – Grant – Aube-Kubel
Raffl – Thompson – Pitlick
Defense
Provorov – Niskanen
Sanheim – Myers
Hagg – Braun
Goalies
Hart
Elliott
First Period
Things were much more cohesive to start this one in comparison to the exhibition game against Columbus, which was pretty sluggish. Through the first five minutes of the game, the Bruins outshot the Flyers six to one. The first penalty of the game came in the form of a slashing penalty against Michael Raffl at the 11:09 mark. The Flyers didn’t give much at all and killed the penalty as a result.
Just about four minutes after the conclusion of the Raffl penalty, David Krejci went off for hooking with 5:19 remaining. Things got dicey early on as it seemed Claude Giroux had himself a sure goal off of a one-timer, but it rang the post. Brandon Carlo went off for tripping with 52 seconds left, but the Flyers couldn’t convert before the end of the period. The Bruins held a 12 to 6 advantage in shots on goal, and looked much better than they did against Columbus.
Score: 0-0
Second Period
To start the period, the Bruins killed the last minute and eight seconds of the Carlo penalty. Poor defensive zone coverage led to Raffl sneaking through the cracks and burying the game’s first goal with 14:27 to go. Carlo nearly evened things up very shortly after the fact, but rang the post.
Nate Thompson made it two for the Flyers at the 10:29 mark, and Robert Hagg took an interference penalty just eight seconds later. Unfortunately for the Bruins, they couldn’t convert on the golden opportunity.
Matt Grzelcyk went down the tunnel for repairs after taking a puck to the face along the boards. Chris Wagner got the Bruins on the board with 1:09 left, assisted by Joakim Nordstrom and Charlie McAvoy. Eight seconds later, Phillippe Myers capitalized on a neutral zone turnover by Zdeno Chara and made it three to one. Shots in the period were 11 to 8, bringing the game total to 20-17 in favor of the Bruins.
Scott Laughton made it four for the Flyers four minutes and seven seconds into the period, making the uphill climb for the Bruins even steeper. The Bruins didn’t see the effort they necessarily would have wanted being down by three. They were outshot nine to zero through the first nine minutes of the period.
Matt Niskanen’s high sticking penalty gave the Bruins a glimmer of hope just past the midway point of the period. No luck on the power play again. After a collision involving Lauzon and Raffl in which Raffl left injured, Lauzon and Laughton got tied up and received 10-minute misconducts. James van Riemsdyk and Jack Studnicka served the penalties and a 4-on-4 ensued.
Jaroslav Halak was pulled in order to mount a comeback with around four minutes left. In an effort to thwart an empty netter, Torey Krug and James van Riemsdyk got tied up and both went off for holding, creating a 4-on-4 before Halak was pulled again. The Bruins had some decent chances, but Carter Hart shut them down. Shots in the period were 15 to 12 in favor of the Bruins, and 35 to 29 overall. Halak stopped 24 of the 28 shots that he faced. Next up are the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday at 4 PM ET.
Final Score: 4-1 Philadelphia
Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 188 that we recorded below! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.
User 568316199 · 188: Fun Boston Bruins Discussion As we Prepare For The 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs
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There is a lot up in the air with the Bruin’s two most recent acquisitions. We know Ondrej Kase was the only player to not travel to Toronto with the team. It’s been said that the Czech Republic native will meet the team later, but if he’s healthy, what role will he have? He’s only played six games with Boston, and with younger guys (that will be mentioned later) getting more chemistry with the team, it will be interesting to see what type of role he’ll have when he’s with the team.
That same story remains true with Nick Ritchie. Despite traveling to Toronto with the team, Ritchie has just now made his first on ice appearance in Ontario’s capital, in an optional skate this morning. He wasn’t featured Bruin’s lineup in the exhibition game and it’s anyone’s guess as to when he’ll join the Bs for a game. The physical forward would be a really nice addition to the lineup, and his presence would be a welcome addition to the forward group.
How will the kids play?
(Photo Credit: Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images)
The Bruins seem to have three players penciled into their lineup that have yet to play a playoff game in their NHL career. The trio of players are Anders Bjork, Jack Studnicka and Jeremy Lauzon. I recently wrote an article about how I believe Bjork has a good chance to break out in the playoffs. He’s an incredibly skilled player that has had success in every league he’s been in. The Notre Dame alum has developed into a really good 200-foot player and is a guy I can totally see having a Marcus Johansson like run in the playoffs.
As for Studnicka, it appears that he will get the start to the right of David Krejci on the second line and I love it. He’s done everything you want in a young player making the jump to the pros. He led the entire AHL in shorthanded goals and was within the top 15 in both total goals and points. Getting the chance to play in the top six in the NHL playoffs as a 21-year-old is not something many can do, especially for a President’s Trophy winning team. It’s been all praise from teammates and I’m really excited to see how he does after his promising showing in the exhibition game.
Jack Studnicka looks GREAT. Fits well with David Krejci and seems to be great at setting up Jake DeBrusk. pic.twitter.com/rIrarCbX3D
We saw Connor Clifton take big steps in his NHL career last year as a rookie in the playoffs, and now Jeremy Lauzon is looking to do the same. The French-Canadian plays the perfect playoff style of hockey. The adjective I would use to describe him certainly wouldn’t be shy as he already has 10 fights in his short NHL career. He’s added a nice physical presence next to Matt Grzelcyk and that bottom pair has been a big part of the B’s success. Since joining the big club, the Bruins have had a 15-3-1 record in games Lauzon has played in.
Can Rask replicate last year’s playoff success?
(Photo Credit: John E. Sokolowski/USA TODAY Sports Images)
Rask was excellent in the 2018-19 Playoffs. Saying anything but that would be idiotic. Outside of the final game of the Cup, Rask was absolutely dominant in elimination and series clinching games. In five elimination games, the Finnish tender allowed just four goals to go with a .973 save percentage. And as crazy as it may sound, he was even better in series clinching games. He allowed ONE goal in the three games, good for a .990 save percentage and if you picked this up, well done, had more shutouts than goals allowed. Those are elite numbers.
It will definitely be interesting to see how the time off will affect the B’s starter coming off of his best regular season since winning the Vezina in 2014. Luckily if Rask falters for any reason, they have one of the best backups in the league in Jaroslav Halak. But let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.
Will the formatting of the playoffs hurt the Bruins?
(Photo Credit: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Well the immediate answer is yes. As they were six points up on the second place team in the league, Bs were poised to finish the regular season as the number one seed. They would’ve had home ice throughout the entirety of the playoffs but are now forced to play in a round robin to determine where they finish. If the Bs fail to maintain the top spot in the East they would end up playing a better team than they would have normally faced. Can you believe if they end up playing the Penguins in the first round instead of a team around the 7-9 seed? No disrespect to any of those teams, but that would be incredibly tough on the Presidents Trophy winning team.
If there’s any pro out of this, it would be the fact that the Bruins now play high intensity games that matter, but without a lose or go home stipulation. Maybe if they don’t show up in the three round robin games it sends a message. Maybe if they DO show up it will give the team confidence and add a little swagger to their play. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Can the veterans succeed after so much time off?
(Photo Credit: Minas Panaglotakis/ Getty Images)
There’s no questioning if the leadership of the Bruin’s veterans will be there when the playoffs begin, it will. But will their usual great play be there as well? Zdeno Chara (42), Patrice Bergeon (34), David Krejci (33) and Brad Marchand (31) have all had amazing NHL careers, but without a proper training camp and so much time off, it may be tough to get back into the swing of things with the intensity of playoff hockey. Brad Marchand said earlier in quarantine that he thinks younger teams like the Maple Leafs and Lightning will have the advantage over teams with an older core. With that being said, you know Bruce Cassidy and co will have the Bruins ready to play when the time comes.
Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 187 that we recorded below! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.
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By: Jack Gotsell | Follow Me On Twitter @jackgotsell
Hockey is a tough sport, and there is nobody who knows that more than Bruins young defenseman Jeremy Lauzon. Jeremy is not the only second-round draft pick (52nd overall) in his family. His younger brother Zachary (51st overall), who has since retired from Hockey citing multiple concussions, was a 2017 draft pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jeremy helped his brother a lot and supported his decision to put his health first and retire from the sport of Hockey.
Like his brother, Jeremy had also dealt with many of his own injury issues, such as multiple concussions and a horrific skate laceration to his neck when he was skating for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Jeremy has not let these injuries impact his compete level and the toughness he brings to the game. He dropped the gloves for his first NHL fight when Mathew Tkachuk challenged him in the faceoff circle after being kicked out of a draw in Boston. Following the fight, in a post-game press conference, Jeremy said, “I’m a physical player, so those games are right in my element. I’m just trying to help the team win.”
Great play by Jeremy Lauzon to tie up Coleman and negate a prime scoring chance for Tampa. pic.twitter.com/RRXyGpfDRd
Jeremy has since signed an extension with Boston Bruins for two years with a cap hit of $850,000. He’s a tough player that brings a physicality that fills a void left with the injury to Kevan Miller. Lauzon clears out the front of the net and is not afraid to go to the dirty areas and engage in the one on one battles that influence puck control and pace of play. He is often the first one to the scrum after the whistle and thrives on playing the policeman to protect his more finesse teammates on the ice. His propensity to drop the gloves will endear him to the Garden faithful, and he is destined to be a fan favorite here if he plays out his contract.
Lauzon is the perfect bridge between the media in Boston and the faithful fan base that cheered on the likes of Milan Lucic, Terry O’Reilly, and Eddie Shore, satisfying the fan’s thirst for fisticuffs without sacrificing the need to skate five skilled players at all times. Jeremy’s resume includes a silver medal at the 2017 world junior championships and 15 goals, 21 assists, and 88 penalty minutes in the 2014-2015 season, which he followed up with a QMJHL championship title run the following season.
Lauzon is far from a goon, he was a second-round pick in 2015 and has a considerable amount of skills in his bag. In 19 Games with the Boston Bruins this season, he has 1 goal, 1 assist and is a plus 5 on the season. He is a stay at home defenseman that is not flashy like some of the stars in the league. His toughness and ability to take the body have earned him the respect and confidence of his coach along with some well deserved minutes in critical points of the game. He is not flashy, but to the knowledgeable hockey fan, It is hard not to notice the 6 foot 2, 205lb defenseman who always finishes his checks and makes each shift tough for opposing NHL stars.
The future is bright for the 23-year-old defenseman, and he fits in well after the loss of stay at home defenseman Kevin Miller who looks as if his run in Boston is coming to a tough injury-plagued end. With a well rounded Charlie McAvoy, offensive defensemen Torey Krug, Conor Clifton, and prospect Urho Vaakanainen in the pipeline, much of the defensive zone responsibilities will fall on Zdeno Chara, Brandon Carlo, and Jeremy Lauzon. There is a good chance the Bruins say goodbye to Krug this offseason because the salary cap will stay where it is, and there is a good chance we lose one of these defensemen to Seattle as they stock their backline for their inaugural NHL season.
Lauzon’s tough defensive play will be vital in the Bruins quest to conquer Lord Stanley’s cup in this year’s playoffs. Bruce Cassidy loves the consistency of Lauzon and that has kept him in the lineup and barring injury he will be following Captain Zdeno Chara into battle when play resumes. He will most likely be slotted next to offensive-minded defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, picking up more of the defensive responsibilities. It’s a big summer for the Lauzon family as Jeremy continues his quests for the cup and youngest brother Emile looks to embark on his quest to enter the NHL draft which launches later this summer. So while Jeremy looks to hoist the cup over his head, brother Emile looks to throw a jersey over his.
Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 185 that we recorded below on 7-12-20! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher!
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The Bruins are going to have a biiiiig decision this offseason when dealing with upcoming UFA Torey Krug. Now that there’s a flat cap for the next couple years, Don Sweeney and co will have their work cut out for them. Personally, I think the Bs need to resign Krug, his departure would leave a big hole at the left side and on the powerplay. But what if, for whatever reason, Torey Krug and the Bruins don’t find common ground and he walks? I’ll go through a couple options that the Bruins can do.
Cap Projections
The Bruins are projected to have a tad under $18 million in cap space. They have options on what kind of contracts to give to guys like Jake Debrusk and Matt Grzelcyk; they may choose to save cap now and sign their younger players to bridge-like deals or choose to give out longer deals. With a Krug contract likely taking up around $6.5-7 million in cap per season, the Bruins would have around $11 million to work with to sign Zdeno Chara, Matt Grzelcyk, Anders Bjork, Jake Debrusk and Joakim Nordstrom (who is likely gone). It will be a hard task regardless of what Sweeney decides to do.
Option 1: Fix the problem internally
(Photo Credit: Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
If Krug says goodbye to Boston, there will certainly be a missing presence at defense. But one thing’s for sure, the Bruins have a plethora of guys in Providence and Boston ready to fill the void. One player that would have a far bigger role with Krug’s departure would be Matt Grzelcyk. He would likely take over powerplay duties and with the success he’s had when featured on the 1st PP unit, I don’t think the Bruins will be too upset.
Grzelcyk's numbers quarterbacking the first power play forwards are insane, they are up near 11.5 goals per 60 minutes of 5v4. The regular first unit is around 9.5 G/60.
Chara will likely be around again next year, leaving one more spot on the left side. The contenders for that spot would be: Jakub Zboril, Urho Vaakanainen, John Moore and Jeremy Lauzon, with the latter two able to play the right side as well. Zboril is an interesting case. In most other organizations, he’d likely be an everyday NHLer right now, but with the Bruins depth at the back end, he’s spent most of his professional career in Providence. He’s eligible to be claimed on waivers starting next year, so it’s a sink or swim situation for the Czechman.
(Photo Credit: Paul Rutherford/USA TODAY Sports)
Urho Vaakanainen is still just 21-years-old and has loads of potential. He’d certainly be up to the task of becoming an everyday dman but if it doesn’t seem like he’s ready, the Bs can still send him to Providence to eat a ton of icetime up. Jeremy Lauzon has been really good since getting called up to Boston. The big, physical defenseman has played both sides and has been a solid presence to have on the bottom pair. I can’t see him not retaining some sort of role on the blue line next year. And finally John Moore, who has always been a good bottom pairing guy for the Bs. With the low cap, Moore’s days in Boston may be numbered, but if he stays a Bruin, he’ll be a solid, mobile dman for them.
If the Bruins decide to go in house with their team next year, that would allow them to sign guys like Jake Debrusk and Matt Grzelyck to longer term deals rather than bridge deals. Instead of giving them contracts around 2×4.5 and 2×2.5 respectively, they could look to go for deals around 6×6 and 5×4 to set up the team in a better long term position.
Option 2: Fix the defense internally, use the money to acquire another forward.
(Photo Credit: AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Instead of the money being allocated to longer deals for Gryz and Debrusk, the Bruins could use the hypothetical $7 million from Krug and go out and sign a big time forward. There’s a solid crop of UFAs to hit the open market that would look great wearing the spoked-B. I’m not too sure the Bruins have the real estate to pull off a big signing like Taylor Hall, but there are plenty of B+ players the Bruins could go after.
There are a couple of forwards (who can play both wings) coming out of Florida who would fit very well to the side of David Krejci. Those two names being Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov. Hoffman has spent his entire career in the Atlantic division and hasn’t scored under 22 goals and 56 points since the 2014-15 season (where he had 27 goals and 48 points). He’s a creative player a lot of skill and a great release. With a playmaker like Krejci and speedy winger like Jake Debrusk, it would be hard to think of him not putting up 30 goals and 60 points.
Dadonov is another skilled winger and is coming off of a big 70 point season. He’s been a great possession player since returning to the NHL, averaging a 52.5 Corsi% in three seasons. Something that may get overlooked are the players Dadonov had success with in Florida. He’s used to a center that likes to slow the game down (Alexsander Barkov) and playing with a similar player in Krejci could prove to be beneficial for both players.
(Photo Credit: Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
And then there’s a player who’s been linked to Boston for years, Tyler Toffoli. He’s always been a player who can play anywhere in the top nine, and always performs in the playoffs. After watching him succeed in Vancouver this year, there’s clearly not an issue of fitting a new system. I’d think Toffoli would be a bit cheaper than the previous two options, and money is everything these days.
Guys like Mikael Granlund, Erik Haula, Alex Galchenyuk and Derick Brassard are some others the Bruins could choose to buy low on. Granlund had many great seasons in Minnesota but hasn’t looked the same in Nashville. Haula erupted in Vegas but hasn’t been quite as good after his gruesome injury last year. Galchenyuk has all the talent in the world and I would be really interested how he’d fare in a system like the Bruins, with leaders like Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron. Brassard could slot in a lot of places and with his playoff track record, could be really solid. To end this off, just take a look at this hypothetical disguuuusting lineup.
Marchand – Bergeron – Pastrnak
Debrusk – Krejci – Hoffman/Dadonov/Toffoli
Bjork – Coyle – Kase
Ritchie – Kuraly – Wagner
Option 3: Sign a replacement defenseman
(Photo Credit: Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports)
The market for defensemen isn’t flowing with crazy talent, but there are a lot of solid pieces in free agency. If the Bs can’t sign Krug, they likely wouldn’t be able to go after Tyson Barrie either. He’d probably have a cap hit a bit under Krug’s, but with how good the Bruin’s right side is, wouldn’t make much sense regardless of his cap hit. But there are two targets that would likely come in at a decent cap number if they hit the open market.
Those two are a pair of Calgary Flames dmen by the names of Erik Gustafsson and T.J. Brodie. Gustafsson had an excellent 2018 campaign. He broke out with a 60 point season and actually had more even strength assists than Krug. After a down season this year, it would certainly be more of a gamble but I can’t see his cap hit getting too high. A one-two year deal around $4 million could be a good, prove it contract for both sides.
T.J. Brodie has had a couple really solid years in a row. He’s averaged over 30 points, a +20 rating and right around a 54.2% Corsi, despite not having a big role in the Flames powerplay. He’s more reliable than Gustafsson and if Grzelcyk or McAvoy can take over powerplay duties from Krug, the Bs would still have a great defensive core.
Obviously trades can also happen. If the Bruins sign a forward, they could trade one of their middle-six guys, maybe for a defenseman, maybe for a draft pick, who knows. But at the end of the day, Krug or no Krug, the Bruins will still be a competitive team next year. I just hope he’s a part of their success.
Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 185 that we recorded below on 7-12-20! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher!
Subscribe to our new Black N’ Gold Hockey YouTube channel! We’d really appreciate the continued support. Click HERE for exciting Black N’ Gold online content!
The Bruins have arguably the deepest defensive core in the entire league, and that can never be a bad thing. It’s going to be very intriguing to see how each defenseman comes back from all the time off and will be very telling on who gets the nod when playoffs begin. I just recently gave my opinion on the Bruins forward group, and here are my thoughts on the defense.
1st Pairing: Matt Grzelcyk – Charlie McAvoy
(Photo Credit: Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
Starting out with a bit of a surprise, I really think the Bruins should keep the former Boston University pairing together. I talked a bit about it in my last article about how important speed is going to be in the upcoming playoffs, and here is exhibit A. Taking nothing away from the future first-ballot Hall of Famer that is Zdeno Chara, but he doesn’t have the legs he used to and I’m not sure how the time off will affect his game. Matt Grzelcyk should get a bulk of shifts with Charlie McAvoy.
He’s undersized, not very physical, and doesn’t put up crazy offensive numbers, but Matt Grzelyck may be the most underrated defensemen in the league. His importance to the Bruins is wildly understated, he just does everything right. The mobile defenseman always makes a good first pass and is excellent at the transition game.
The Charlestown native is an analytical darling. Among NHL defensemen with 40+ games, Gryz ranks third in even-strength goals per 60 minutes. He has a very solid 52.8 Corsi and 54.6 Fenwick. And did all of Grzelyck’s success halt in the playoffs? Nope. In last year’s playoff run, the 26-year-old totaled four goals and eight points. Despite being put in tough positions and starting in the Bruins’ end 53.4% of the time, Grzelyck still managed to post a 54.4 Corsi. It’s going to suck seeing him in Seattle…
Maybe the only interest me, but I think they are fun to look at. Updated season numbers: pic.twitter.com/SUa55KUsyb
Boston media was all over Charlie McAvoy at the beginning of the season. Pekka Rinne (yes the goalie) scored a goal before Chucky Mac did, but he was still playing good hockey. He’s constantly paired against his opponent’s top lines and has proven time and time again that he can take any task he’s assigned. McAvoy came to Boston as a teenager and averaged 26 MINUTES a game in the playoffs without a lick of NHL experience. He’s done a remarkable job against the likes of Steven Stamkos, Auston Matthews, and Nikita Kucherov in the playoffs and deserves to eat up as many minutes as Bruce Cassidy gives him.
2nd Pairing: Torey Krug – Brandon Carlo
(Photo Credit: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Yin and Yang. The pairing just works. On the left, you have one of the most dynamic offensive defensemen in the league. On the right, you have a 6’5 defensive specialist who’s grown into an incredibly reliable player on the back end for the Bruins.
When I think of playoff Torey Krug I think of two things. The first being his 2013 run where he was plucked out of Providence and lit it up for the Bruins. Watching him against the Rangers was special. He displayed a crazy amount of poise and skill, scoring FOUR goals in five games. The subtle things are what stood out. Getting into open space, a little footwork before scoring are just a few examples. The second thing is this.
Just in case you forgot, here is Torey Krug’s hit on Robert Thomas. The Garden absolutely erupted. pic.twitter.com/BBPSETN2I4
Brandon Carlo is a defenseman every team wishes they had. He reminds me of Niklas Hjalmarsson. He’s not a player that will light up the scoresheet (although his offensive output has been far more impressive as of late) but he’s so hard to beat one on one, he blocks everything that comes his way and is the type of guy you need to win a cup (see Hjalmarsson’s three Stanley Cups). The 2015 2nd rounder has become a great skater, and he’s finally using his size against opponents. And the craziest thing is he’s still just 23.
3rd Pairing: Zdeno Chara – Jeremy Lauzon
(Photo Credit: Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)
I need to retcon a bit on having Grzelcyk on the first pairing. Maybe it’s a 30%-70% split, maybe it’s a 50%-50% split, but there are still circumstances where Chara needs to be with McAvoy because they are so effective in so many situations. In last year’s postseason, he had six times the amount of giveaways as takeaways and had a tough 46 Corsi, but he led the entire playoffs with a plus-11 rating and you can’t argue with the captain of a team that was a game (or a penalty call) away from winning the cup. He’s the ultimate competitor, not many people can break their jaw and play the next game.
I had to deliberate a lot with the sixth man at the backend. Bruce Cassidy could go for experience and play John Moore (who I thought played very solid in the Cup), he could elect for someone to play on their strong side like Connor Clifton, or go with the “hot” hand (if you could call it that after all the time off) with Jeremy Lauzon, who I think should get the nod.
Lauzon doesn’t have any playoff experience, but like we’ve seen with some of the aforementioned players, that may not be an issue. The French-Canadian has a whole lot of grit to his game, he already has two fights under his belt, one against the tough bastard that is Matthew Tkachuk, which is something you love to see from a young player. His style of play should mesh perfectly with the pace of typical playoff hockey.
Having John Moore, Connor Clifton, and even Steven Kampfer are huge luxuries to have and will all be big assets if Lauzon (or any others) look out of place. And of course, Tuukka Rask will be the starter, don’t need anyone to say otherwise.
Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 184 that we recorded below on 6-28-20! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher!
Please subscribe to our new Black N’ Gold Hockey YouTube channel! We’d really appreciate the continued support. Click HERE for exciting Black N’ Gold online content!
By: Max Mainville | Check me out on Twitter @tkdmaxbjj
Today, April 28th, 2020, three current Boston Bruins players all become a year older and celebrate their birthdays – David Krejci, Connor Clifton, and Jeremy Lauzon.
F David Krejci
PHOTO CREDITS: (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
David Krejci was born on April 28th, 1986 in Sternberk, Czechoslovakia. Krejci started his hockey career in the early 2000s playing with numerous U18 clubs in the Czech Republic – performing at over a point-per-game pace for each season. In 2003-2004, David scored 23-37-60 totals in 50 games with HC Kladno U20. This propelled him to the 2004 NHL Entry Draft where the Bruins selected him 63rd overall in the second round.
In the 2004-05 season, Krejci joined the Gatineau Olympiques in the QMJHL to further his development as a new Bruins prospect. He played two seasons with the Olympiques, posting 49-95-144 numbers in 117 games as well as 12-29-41 numbers in 27 playoff games.
Krejci didn’t make his mark on the Boston Bruins organization until the following season when he scored 74 points in 69 regular-season games with the Providence Bruins in the AHL and scored the most playoff assists as a rookie with 13 helpers in 13 games during the ’06/’07 postseason. David played in six games with Boston but didn’t make a true impact until the next year where he skated in 56 games for the Boston Bruins.
Since then, Krejci has played in 911 regular-season NHL games, scoring 207 goals and 479 assists for 686 points. Krejci added a Stanley Cup to his resume as he led the NHL in playoff goals (12) and points (23) to help the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 2011. Krejci’s 103 playoff points ties him with Patrice Bergeron for the second-most points in the postseason in Boston Bruins history.
This season, the 6-foot, 187-pound forward has 13-30-43 totals in 61 games before the COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on the NHL. Recently, David Krejci stated that he would like to continue playing hockey when his current contract expires in July of 2021. Whether or not Krejci plays with the Bruins after the deal ends is yet to be seen, but he will go down as one of the better Bruins of recent memory. Happy 34th Birthday, David Krejci!
D Connor Clifton
PHOTO CREDITS: (Billy Hurst / USA Today)
Connor Clifton was born on April 28th, 1995 in Long Branch, New Jersey, USA. Clifton started his hockey journey in various United States hockey programs including the EmJHL, EJHL, and USHL. Throughout those different leagues, Clifton never played a large number of games per season but kept working. In 2012-13, Connor played with the U.S. National U18 Team in the United States Development Program (USDP) where he scored 8-15-23 numbers in 66 games.
Following that, the 5-foot-11, 174-pound defenceman was drafted 133rd overall (5th round) in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft by the Phoenix (now Arizona) Coyotes. Being such a late draft selection, Clifton made his way to the NCAA to play for Quinnipiac University where he would spend the next four seasons ending in 2016-17. After two slow seasons, Clifton scored 28 points in 43 games for the Bobcats in 2015-16. That was the same season that Quinnipiac defeated Harvard to win the ECAC Championship, with Clifton winning the Tournament MVP.
The New Jersey native played the bulk of the 2018-29 campaign in the AHL once again but did see 19 games of regular-season hockey with the NHL club, tallying one assist. However, it was on the Bruins’ 2019 Stanley Cup Finals run where he made an impact. “Cliffy Hockey” scored two goals and three assists in 18 playoff games and played a solid defensive game, laying heavy hits and making a name for himself with injuries on Boston’s blueline.
His performance earned him a three-year, $1 million AAV deal to re-sign with the Bruins in this past offseason. Unfortunately, though, Clifton only played 31 games in the NHL as he dealt with an upper-body injury for a large chunk of the season and then the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt on the NHL season just as Clifton was finding his way back into the lineup. Regardless, Connor will be a future regular on Boston’s d-core. Happy 25th Birthday, Connor Clifton!
D Jeremy Lauzon
PHOTO CREDITS: (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Jeremy Lauzon was born April 28th, 1997 in Val-d’Or, Quebec, Canada. Lauzon’s young hockey career started in 2010-11, playing for a few different organizations in Quebec, Canada. In 2013-14, Lauzon joined the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), where he came out of the gate with 5-11-16 numbers in 55 games and four points in 9 playoff appearances.
Lauzon had a more impressive sophomore season in the QMJHL, putting up 36 points in 60 games as a defenceman. Those numbers did something for the Bruins organization who selected the 6-foot-2, 205-pound 52nd overall (2nd round) in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
The following season, in 2015-16, Boston returned Jeremy to the QMJHL where he scored 50 points during the regular season, earning himself an entry-level deal from Boston in November of 2015. In the playoffs that year, Jeremy posted 1-7-8 totals in 9 playoff games as Rouyn-Noranda won the QMJHL Championship, booking them a spot in the infamous Memorial Cup tournament. Lauzon’s Huskies made it all the way to the Finals but fell short to the London Knights.
Following one more season with the Huskies in the 2016-2017 campaign, Jeremy Lauzon finally joined the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League. Lauzon, unfortunately, missed 22 games with a concussion but still played in 52 games, scoring 7 points. Lauzon made his NHL debut in the 2018-19 season and scored his first career goal in that same year.
Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 176 that we recorded below on 4-27-20! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.
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( Photo Credit: Steve Babineau | NHLI via Getty Images )
By: Will Montanez | Follow me on Twitter @Willfro3
Connor Clifton, a right-shot defenseman for the Boston Bruins was assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins, for the purposes of a conditioning stint on February 16, 2020. Clifton has been out of the line-up since he exited a December 29, 2019 game against the Buffalo Sabres and was subsequently placed on the injured reserve list on January 3, 2020. Clifton resumed full-contact practice with the varsity squad on Tuesday, February 11, 2020. The trip to Providence most likely represents an opportunity for Clifton to shake off the rust and also allows the Bruins salary cap and roster flexibility, as they are currently at the maximum number of skaters allowed.
During this season, Clifton has mostly found himself on the bottom pair of the B’s D-corps with Matt Grzelcyk and serving as an occasional healthy scratch. While participating in 30 games he has accumulated two goals, 12 PIMS, 32 blocked shots, and 85 hits in 14:07 of average ice time per game (95.6% of which was spent five-on-five). He has been known to play the game with an air of recklessness which gave rise to the concept of “Cliffy Hockey.” Compounded by his lack of production, Clifton’s possession metrics do not shine brightly.
Clifton has been attributed a Relative Fenwick-For Percentage (a measure of unblocked shots for and unblocked shots against) of -3.9, placing him at the bottom of the B’s defensive heap and implying that when he’s on the ice Tuukka Rask or Jaroslav Halak are more likely to see pucks headed their way than with any other D-man on the ice. His penchant for getting attempted shots through to opposing nets also ranks the worst among regular defense-men with a 38.5% shots through percentage.
Connor Clifton broke into the League during the 2018-2019 and featured in 19 of the Bruin’s regular-season games as well as 18 of their post-season games en route to the Stanley Cup Finals. While he registered a lone assist during the regular season, Clifton’s offensive contributions spiked a bit in the playoffs as he put up five points, including his first career NHL goal during the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes.
While Clifton may have been surpassed on the depth chart by young buck Jeremey Lauzon and ranks worse across the board against sixth/seventh options like John Moore, his handedness and aggressive style still make him an attractive alternative for Bruce Cassidy to send on to the ice, in spite of his unwillingness to play Clifton on special teams. Boston’s defensive depth has been tested in the recent past so it’s doubtful that the men behind the bench and management are complaining about the decisions that must be made to accommodate the plethora of blue-liners vying for ice time. Clifton, meanwhile, hopes to fight his way back into a roster spot and add to the internal competition which should help keep the B’s back-end sharp.
Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 166 that we recorded below! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.
Please subscribe to our new Black N’ Gold Hockey YouTube channel! We’d really appreciate the continued support. Click HERE for exciting Black N’ Gold online content!!
Hosts Heather Ingerson and Mark Allred got back in the studio to talk Boston Bruins and a few other hockey-related topics. We started recording this episode 166 before the afternoon tilt against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. The Bruins continue to roll post the All-Star/Bye-Week break and have a tough test ahead of them with a four-game road trip which started in New York and heading out west to play Canadian teams such as the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, and the Vancouver Canucks.
Please give a listen to our Bruins banter below in episode 166 as Heather and myself talk about last week’s games and the upcoming week for our beloved National Hockey League Boston Bruins. Below is a timeframe of when the discussion changes to a new hockey related topic.
Intro – 00:00
Last Weeks Games – 6:33
Upcoming Weeks Schedule – 22:30
Talking About the Jay Bouwmeester Collapse & Update – 38:30
Chara Fined By Player Safety 5K – 46:30
Charlie McAvoy Emergence After Scoring First Goal – 1:05:00
Bergeron Notches 3 Straight 25+ Goal Seasons – 1:13:55
Cassidy Gets 200th Career NHL Coaching Victory – 1:20:45
Jeremy Lauzon Signs Two-Year Contract Extension – 1:27:30
Time Is Now To Pull The Trigger On A Toffoli Trade With LA – 1:37:00
General Discussion – 1:49:10
End Of Show – 2:07:40
Thanks for tuning in and all the support! We’ll be back next week for another show of Bruins Hockey related material. Take Care and GO Bruins!!
Please subscribe to our new Black N’ Gold Hockey YouTube channel! We’d really appreciate the continued support. Click HERE for exciting Black N’ Gold online content!!
By: Patrick Donnelly | Follow me on Twitter @PatDonn12
On Friday afternoon, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney announced that the team has signed defenseman Jeremy Lauzon to a two-year contract extension an worth an average annual value of $850,000, beginning with the 2020-21 season. Lauzon’s current deal, his entry-level contract, expires this offseason.
In seven games with Boston this season, Lauzon has one goal on 10 shots to go along with a plus-two rating and 16 penalty minutes. The left-shot defender is coming off the heels of a two-game suspension for a hit to the head of Derek Stepan of the Arizona Coyotes.
Before making his season debut for the big club on Dec. 31, Lauzon posted one goal and 12 assists for 13 points in addition to a plus-22 rating in 45 games with the Providence Bruins, Boston’s AHL affiliate, this season.
In the previous two seasons with Providence, the 22-year-old posted 2-12-14 totals in 81 AHL contests. Last year, Lauzon made his NHL debut on Oct. 25, 2018, against the Philadelphia Flyers before scoring his first career goal against the Vegas Golden Knights on Nov. 11.
The Bruins selected the Val D’or, Quebec native with the 52nd-overall pick in the second round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. During his junior hockey career, Lauzon skated in 200 games over four seasons with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the QMJHL, notching 35 goals and 95 assists 130 career points in addition to a plus-81 rating and 282 penalty minutes.
Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 165 that we recorded below! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.
Please subscribe to our new Black N’ Gold Hockey YouTube channel! We’d really appreciate the continued support. Click HERE for exciting Black N’ Gold online content!!
Hosts Heather Ingerson and Mark Allred got back in the studio to talk Boston Bruins and a few other hockey-related topics. We started recording this episode 165 before the afternoon tilt against the Detriot Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena in Motown and finished at the beginning of the second period. I know most Boston Bruins fans don’t want to relive the memory of losing a road game to the last-place team in the league as Boston sits atop the best league in the world. Just a minor bump in the road and hope we figure it out before the next game on Wednesday night at TD Garden against the Montreal Canadians and Saturday with yet another afternoon tilt against the bottom-dwelling Red Wings.
Please give a listen to our Bruins banter below in episode 165 as Heather and myself talk about last week’s games and the upcoming week for our beloved National Hockey League Boston Bruins. Below is a timeframe of when the discussion changes to a new hockey related topic.
Intro – 00:00
Upcoming Bruins Schedule – 26:45
Carlo Steps Away For Family Matter, And Overall Play – 39:40
Heinen Misses Four Straight Games As Speculation Heats Up – 51:11
Kuraly-Coyle-Bjork Third Line Has Been Fun To Watch – 58:40
Lauzon Suspension Hit & No Call For McAvoy’s Head Shot? – 1:07:40
NESN’s Edwards Talks Composite Sticks & We Elaborate – 1:16:11
TD Garden Seating Upgrades Will Be Made After Fan Complaints – 1:27:22
2020 Olympic Updates An The Positive Talks Per Elliotte Freidman – 1:35:00
Buffalo Duane’s Meltdown On Public Radio About His Sabres Team and Ownership – 1:46:3
Have a question or a comment for the hosts or would you like to join our growing writer’s team? Please send us an email at blackngoldhockeyblog@gmail.com
Thanks for tuning in and all the support! We’ll be back next week for another show of Bruins Hockey related talk. Take Care and GO Bruins!
Please subscribe to our new Black N’ Gold Hockey YouTube channel! We’d really appreciate the continued support. Click HERE for exciting Black N’ Gold online content!!
