A mid-game adjustment by Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien helped assure the final 40 minutes of Friday’s contest would not follow the blueprint set in the first 20.
“The message after the first period was pretty simple,” Julien told NESN’s Jack Edwards and Andy Brickley after the Bruins left the Barclays Center with a 5-3 win over the New York Islanders. “We have to start playing a lot harder in our D-zone.”
Light play on defense killed Boston in a loss to the Philadelphia Flyers earlier in the week, and it again was an issue early Friday, as the Islanders scored twice in one 79-second span to take a one-goal lead into first intermission. The Isles’ opening goal was a result of passiveness on the penalty kill, and the second came after Casey Cizikas outworked Ryan Spooner in front of the Boston net.
“We got beat back to the front of the net multiple times in that first period,” Julien said. “And it’s not just about the goal. It was just a matter of time before that happened. So, we talked about being a lot harder and being a little bit more on our toes and going after these guys and basically playing a lot harder. They answered, obviously, the call in the second and third periods, and I thought we responded well from there on in.”
Indeed they did. Wanting to give his third line “a little bit more experience down low,” Julien shifted veteran Chris Kelly from left wing to center and bumped Spooner from third-line center to fourth-line left wing. It took less than a period for his strategy to pay off.
Spooner’s move to the fourth line positioned him alongside center Joonas Kemppainen and right wing Tyler Randell, and the new-look trio produced both the game-tying and eventual game-winning goals. Kemppainen netted the first off an assist from Spooner, and after a David Pastrnak tally put Boston ahead late in the second, Spooner potted one of his own, with Kemppainen returning the favor on the assist.
“Those guys clicked very well,” Julien said. “It was nice to see Ryan Spooner just adjust so well to the wing. He kept playing his game and was a big factor for us. So, you’ve got to give him a lot of credit. It wasn’t about getting discouraged, but adjusting to the change that we made.”
Spooner’s tally was just his second of the season, while Kemppainen’s was his first as an NHL player. The latter was a pleasant surprise in training camp — his first after spending nine seasons in the Swedish Elite League — and Friday’s breakout was more evidence of his growing familiarity with his new surroundings.
“He is (adjusting well),” Julien said. “We’ve talked about that many times amongst the coaches. He’s such a smart player, he just needs to kind of adapt to the North American game and feel a lot more confident, and (Friday night) was a really good sign of him coming around.”
Thumbnail photo via Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports Images
