BOSTON — Loui Eriksson is proving to be a very valuable forward for the Bruins this season.
After suffering two concussions during the 2013-14 campaign, his first with the Bruins, it was going to take time for Eriksson to return to normal.
Now that he’s healthy and in the lineup consistently, Eriksson is becoming what the Bruins envisioned: one of the team’s most dependable players. He’s a prototypical three-zone player and his importance at even strength, the power play and penalty kill is shown in his ice time. He leads all B’s forwards with 18:25 TOI per game and only Patrice Bergeron has averaged more special teams ice time.
Eriksson reached the 20-goal mark with a sensational first-period tally in Tuesday night’s 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers at TD Garden. It was a phenomenal display of skill and patience as Eriksson waited for Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo to go down before firing a backhand shot into the net from a tight angle.
He’s the third Bruins player to score 20 goals this season, joining Bergeron and Brad Marchand.
“It’s been awhile since I’ve been up (to 20 goals), so for sure it was nice, especially to score a goal and win the game,” Eriksson said. “That was big.”
Aside from a 12-game goalless drought from Nov. 10 through Dec. 4, Eriksson has been pretty consistent for the Bruins in regards to scoring production. He ranked third on the B’s with 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists) from opening night through Dec. 31, and since the calendar turned to 2015 he’s fourth on the team with 20 points (11 goals, nine assists). Eriksson also is Boston’s leader with six power-play goals as a central figure on the first unit, which has enjoyed lots of success since its creation in mid-February.
Eriksson is making a positive impact defensively, too. He’s driven puck possession with a 52.66 Corsi percentage at even strength despite playing against the toughest competition of any Bruins forward not on the Bergeron line, per BehindtheNet.ca. He does a great job using his stick to intercept passes, he reads plays very well in the defensive zone and is among the team’s best penalty killers. Bergeron is the only B’s forward with a better 200-foot game.
The Bruins have improved defensively as a team with two goals against or fewer in nine of the last 12 games, and Eriksson has been one of the key figures behind it.
“We need to play a better, a tighter game and not let in too many goals,” Eriksson said. “I think in the last four games we have been playing a lot better defensively and I think that’s why we have been winning games, too, because we haven’t let in that many goals.”
Having a healthy and productive Eriksson is a huge benefit to the Bruins as they aim to secure a playoff spot and make a deep run into May or June. Bruins head coach Claude Julien is able to trust him in any situation, regardless if it’s at even strength or special teams.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
