While his team struggled to find its game again Monday, 6-foot-2, 225-pound Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk was just trying to find his niche on the Boston blue line in only his first game of the season and second of his Bruins career. A physical force on the ice, Boychuk played 17 minutes and finished with a plus-2 rating.
“I thought I played pretty well, but it would have been a lot nicer if we won,” Boychuk said. “I felt comfortable out there and was trying to play my game and help the team. I’m just trying to be physical, bring that to the ice, and be responsible.”
Apparently he was just that, because head coach Claude Julien didn’t point out any mistakes when asked what he thought of his rookie defenseman, who patiently waited five games to show what he can offer.
“It was OK,” Julien said. “I thought he gave us some good size. He battled well. For his first game, I was pleased with it.”
Ironically, Boychuk faced off against the club that traded him to the Bruins. Colorado drafted Boychuk in the second round in 2002 but he never seemed to catch on there after toiling in the minors for four seasons.
“Yeah I thought about that, and you do want to prove them wrong, but I’m more focused on just fitting in here and helping the team,” Boychuk said.
While in the AHL for Colorado, Boychuk logged up plenty of travel miles, since the Avalanche were constantly changing their AHL affiliate. With Hershey, Pa., Lake Erie, Ohio, Lowell, Mass., and Albany, N.Y., serving as his home base during his time in the Avalanche system, one could understand the "suitcase life" getting to him. But it wasn’t so much the travel that affected his game as it was having to learn new systems and the teams' having to split affiliation with other NHL teams.
“It’s the split-affiliation that really messes you up when you’re trying to make it in that situation,” he said. “You’re learning so many new systems and you’re having to adapt your game sometimes to a system you may not be asked to play in the NHL.”
Boychuk believes that’s why he prospered in Providence, winning the AHL Defenseman of the Year Award last season, and why he thinks he has a better chance here in Boston.
“You just get to have a system you can learn, practice and play that will for the most part be similar to what you’re asked to do up here [in the NHL],” Boychuk pointed out. “The coaching here is amazing too, and that’s why I know I can come in and fit in and do my job. You saw me with [Matt Hunwick] in this game and that was good because we have chemistry from playing in Providence.”
Boychuk also found himself taking extended shifts with Zdeno Chara, the captain of the team and reigning Norris Trophy winner.
“Yeah that was pretty cool,” he admitted. “I noticed that and I was like ‘Wow! I’m out there with 'Z' and we all know how great he is.'”
So with one game under his belt, Boychuk knows he always has work to do to stick at this level, but he is also happy to know he has a place in the lineup if he earns it.
“You have experiences like that and it’s good to know your hard work is rewarded,” he said. “I like it here and I want to help this team however I can.”
