Bruins notebook: Challenging part of schedule is upon B’s

With the Bruins sitting at an NHL-best 18-3, it is hard to argue that they are not an elite team. But by the time the next couple of weeks are out, we should have a better idea if they are just one of a handful of top Stanley Cup contenders or if they are in an even more exclusive class.

On Tuesday, the B’s have their return match against the Tampa Bay Lightning, whom they were able to dispatch with one excellent second period last week. Then on Saturday, they face the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche, predictably starting to make their move in the Western Conference. Next Monday, they will finish off the homestand by locking horns with former coach Bruce Cassidy’s Vegas Golden Knights, who have been sitting atop the West all season.

It doesn’t get any easier after that. They’ll head out on the road for return matches with the Avs and Knights sandwiched around a trip to Arizona.

The tour of murderer’s row began last week when they faced the Bolts, the Panthers (just their third L of the season) and, finally the Carolina Hurricanes, a game which produced one of their more gratifying victories of the season when they overcame a two-goal deficit.

While some in the B’s locker room eschew the term “measuring stick game,” everyone knows who is on the schedule.

“I think they get really focused and excited for the games,” said coach Jim Montgomery. “We saw that against Carolina. I never thought our team stopped working in that game. And you’re going to see that with Tampa Bay, Colorado and Vegas coming in.”

But while the B’s have clearly reached an attention-getting portion of the schedule, the lofty status that they’ve created for themselves should put them on high alert every time they step on the ice these days.

“I think just for us and where our game is at, we’ve been on a little bit of a roll. Now we’ve had some breaks in between games, so can you stay hot and in the same mindset?” said Nick Foligno. “I’m proud of the guys with the way we’ve handled it. There are good teams and we’re going to get every team’s best. And it doesn’t matter how we’ve played before. We should expect to get every teams’ best just because of the type of team we are. I don’t think it changes just because of the record we have. I think we need to understand that we’re the Boston Bruins and we’re going to get the best from everybody. I remember playing against this team and you had to play your best just because of the way this team has carried itself. I take pride in that and I think guys should understand that it shouldn’t matter how we prepare for games. We should always expect the other team’s best. That’s a nice feeling and something that this group’s worked hard for, long before I got here and we want to continue that. We know. We’ve talked about this. We’re building something special, so we can’t be surprised by anything.”

While the quality of opponent has jumped up a notch since the B’s were beating up on the likes of Vancouver and Chicago, the schedule has been kind in another way. They’ve had three days off since beating Carolina and, after playing Tampa on Tuesday, they will have another three-day break before Colorado arrives.

It won’t always be like this. Later this month, they have to play the New Jersey Devils, with whom they’ve been dueling for Eastern Conference supremacy, twice in a week, both times on the second half of back-to-backs. So it behooves them to make the most of the rest and practice time while they have it.

“There’s a give and take. When you’re rolling, you just want to keep going. But I think there’s also a benefit to staying sharp on things that may slip because you’re just rolling sometimes,” said Foligno. “You get to catch yourself a little bit in practice and see what you need to improve and the coaches get a little more time to break down the film and show us ‘OK, we can get a little bit better there.’ I think that’s really the exciting part. We still feel like there’s so much room for our game to grow.”….

With Derek Forbort close to returning off LTIR, the B’s placed veteran defenseman Anton Stralman on waivers on Monday in an effort to become cap compliant. Stralman was a training camp tryout and signed a one-year, $1 million contract on the eve of the season operner. After having visa issus that kept him out of the lineup at the start of the season, Stralman has played only eight games, but he got the nod over Jakub Zboril in the B’s win over Carolina. Stralman had not gotten on the scoreboard and was minus-3 in his eight games, but is steady and savvy.

Meanwhile, Linus Ullmark, who left Friday’s game with an upper body injury, returned to practice and Montgomery said he’s cleared to play, though the coach did not tip his hand on whether it will be Ullmark or Jeremy Swayman to face Tampa.

Ullmark and Forbort are not the only possible returnees. Trent Frederic, out since suffering an upper body injury last Monday in Tampa, practiced and is expected to play.

Whether Forbort plays on Tuesday or not, we got a glimpse in Monday’s practice of what the B’s defense would look like fully healthy. Charlie McAvoy was paired with Hampus Lindholm, Matt Grzelcyk with Brandon Carlo and Forbort was with Connor Clifton.

While Montgomery said the pairs could be opponent-based, he said that’s also how he thinks the top six D fit together best.

“To the eye, (Carlo and Grzelcyk) have played really well together and analytics support that. And everybody seems to agree that Cliffy and Forbort play well together. But I feel like I can move any of the right D to play with the left D and we don’t miss a beat,” said Montgomery.

 

 

 

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/PTsgXD1