BOSTON — With 16 games left in the regular season, Chris Wagner is sixth on the Boston Bruins with 10 goals.
The fourth-line winger reached double digits under the G column for the first time in his five-year career by potting the Bruins’ first goal in a 4-3 overtime win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday.
Wagner is a native of Walpole, Mass., and played high school hockey at Xaverian Brothers High School, just a 30-minute drive from TD Garden.
He has earned plenty of praise from his head coach this season, and after Tuesday’s win, Bruce Cassidy noted after that while Wagner is out there for his grit, people should not sleep on his ability to find the net.
“I just think he goes to the net lots. He’s willing to get there. You watch him in practice, and he’s got a decent shot,” Cassidy said. “I find that the guys that are willing to get there in this league, and if you play enough, you have a decent shot, you’re going to get rewarded.
“We figured he could get to 10, 12 goals if he played 13, 14, 15 minutes,” Cassidy continued. “Doesn’t mean he’s going to do it, but we hoped he would with a little more opportunity. And he’s taken advantage of it.”
Wagner has been a career fourth-liner, and has played in more than 60 games just twice in his career. He will match a career high in his next game, which will be his 64th appearance in the Black and Gold.
Signing with his hometown team has proven to be one of the better decisions of his playing career, the 27-year-old noted.
“The team is unbelievable, obviously,” Wagner said. “I’m from here so I love the city through and through. Yeah it’s pretty cool. 10 goals, I don’t know if I could have ever dreamt of that when I was 16 playing at Xaverian.”
Wagner certainly has become a bit of a fan favorite this season for being a grinder that can put the puck in the net. It helps too that Wagner can dabble in Boston sports talk.
