BOSTON — The Bruins made two moves over the last week that involved league veterans. But it appears to have been part of Bruce Cassidy’s plan.
Boston placed both Brett Ritche and David Backes on waivers, and it’s been the young guns who have showcased some strength on the ice since the corresponding moves.
Karson Kuhlman, Anton Blidh and Jeremy Lauzon all played in the Bruins’ 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday at TD Garden. Kuhlman had an assist, while Lauzon potted a goal. Blidh recorded a shot on net.
After the game, head coach Bruce Cassidy revealed he was trying to give his team some “internal competition” to push the B’s veterans a little harder.
“What we’re trying to do, again I’ll be very open, is we decided a couple of weeks ago or whatever it was that we needed a little more internal competition,” Cassidy said. “Generally that starts from the bottom up. We identified some guys in Providence that were playing well. … We did it with Kuhlman, Lauzon. We took a veteran out in (John) Moore. So … that was a bit by design these last two weeks to see if they would give us a little extra push. We’ll see where it leads us.”
Cassidy liked what we saw from his team Tuesday night, but knows there’s still more room to grow in the team’s full 60-minute effort.
It’s unknown what kind of role the trio will play for Boston after its 10-day All-Star break. But it’s certainly positive to see them mesh so well and be part of a big win.
