Bruce Cassidy Raves About Taylor Hall, ‘Loves Guys Like’ Bruins Winger

Taylor Hall has looked like a new man since early April.

The veteran winger has shown nothing but life since arriving with the Boston Bruins ahead of last month’s trade deadline. That continued with a solid showing in Monday’s overtime win against the Washington Capitals in the first round of their first-round playoff series, in which he scored a greasy goal to level the score and force overtime.

Hall has looked energized, and is playing some of his best hockey in a long, long time.

Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy has loved what he’s seen.

“Well listen, I think what happens, you have a great start to your Bruins career, and then the other night it didn’t really happen for him,” Cassidy said over Zoom after the win. “So you want to make a difference. I love guys like that — they want to make a difference. … Listen, he’s been really invested since he’s been here.”

Game 1 was not a great showing for Boston’s top six, which resulted in Cassidy calling them out. Hall and the rest responded well in Game 2, and it showed the ceiling the Bruins can have when those re-tooled and, to borrow Cassidy’s word, “invested” top lines click.

The series, which is tied at one game apiece, shifts to Boston now for Game 3. Puck drop from TD Garden is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on NESN, with pregame coverage beginning at 5:30.