WILMINGTON, Mass. — Frank Vatrano isn’t yet certain whether he’ll be in the lineup when his Boston Bruins host the Colorado Avalanche this Thursday at TD Garden. But given the way he’s performed thus far, coupled with fact that David Pastrnak’s foot remains unfit for hockey activities, he can bet on it.
Vatrano’s impressive play was one of the highlights of a Bruins road trip that ended with a victory but began with two frustrating defeats.
The 21-year old forward, who was suiting up for the Providence Bruins at this time last week, scored a goal Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens in his NHL debut, then turned in another all-around solid performance in Sunday’s win over the New York Islanders.
That strong two-game showing (one goal, eight shots, plus-1) earned Vatrano some high praise from Bruins coach Claude Julien — compliments Julien reiterated after Tuesday’s practice at Ristuccia Arena.
“He doesn’t seem nervous,” Julien said. “He seems confident, and he seems determined.”
Vatrano’s ability to uncork devastating shots with a lightning-quick release was common knowledge well before his elevation to the big club. But perhaps more encouraging thus far has been his commitment to the areas of the game that don’t show up on the stat sheet.
“I think when you look at his game — and some players are so good at catching on quickly — I think his responsibility in all areas of the game is good,” Julien said. “We like the fact that he’s a good shooter — that’s why we got him on one of our top lines. I think he can produce for us there.
“But at the same time, I like the fact that he’s been really taking the other areas of the game seriously. He’s done a great job in our own end. He’s done a great job through the neutral zone. Coming back, the backcheck has been good. So, all those areas that are not necessarily always fun to do but are important, I think he’s caught on to that.”
Despite appearing in fewer than 20 total professional games pre-call-up, Vatrano looks like he’s already fitting in at the NHL level.
“Frankie’s played really well so far,” veteran winger Brad Marchand added. “He’s done a really good job of coming up. He’s a very fast-paced player, he’s got a phenomenal shot, and in fact, he hasn’t really missed a beat. He looks very comfortable out there.”
As a native of East Longmeadow, Mass., Vatrano grew up watching the team that now employs him. Tickets for what almost certainly will be his Garden debut naturally are in high demand.
“My phone’s been blowing up,” Vatrano said. “And I can’t give them an answer, because I don’t know the lineup for Thursday. I just tell them that I don’t know yet. Everyone’s really excited, though, and it’s great for family and friends who are around here to definitely come and enjoy the game.”
Thumbnail photo via Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press via AP
