It was easy to see how the Boston Bruins would benefit from adding Taylor Hall to the mix. But what might have been overlooked was the impact the team would have on Hall.
And perhaps no one predicted the impact and value a player like Brad Marchand could have in elevating his new former MVP teammate to another level.
Hall has been simply sensational since the Bruins acquired him at the deadline, and he's a big reason for optimism in Boston's Stanley Cup playoffs second-round series versus the New York Islanders. The former No. 1 overall pick scored eight goals and added six assists in 16 regular-season games after being shipped to Boston from Buffalo. He was just as good if not better in the first round of the playoffs, scoring a pair of goals -- including a potential series-changing tally -- and added an assist in five games versus Washington.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about Hall's assimilation with the Bruins is what he's been able to do when he's not filling up the stat sheet. There have been occasional question marks throughout his career about effort and defensive play and those sorts of things. There have been no such questions since Hall hit the ice wearing the Black and Gold.
Bruins fans might have Marchand, of all people, to thank for that.
"He's a pretty intense player, and I think being around Brad is really helping him," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said in an interview with "The Camera Guys" on NBC Sports Boston. "(He) sort of sees Brad's second and third and fourth effort on pucks and he's like, 'Wow, I can do that.'
"So I think he's really fed off Marchy's intensity."
Cassidy, unsurprisingly, knows what he's talking about. Hall credited Marchand nearly three weeks ago after a two-goal game (including an overtime winner) against ... the Islanders.
"To see how hard he is on pucks, to see how many times he gives a second effort to get a puck back or make a play on D or on offense. He's been a guy our whole roster feeds off of. For me, personally, to see how he plays, I know I can play a similar style. It's almost like you watch someone do it, and then you're like, 'OK, I can do that.' That was a little thing."
Those little things are paying off in a big way and will be even more important against an Islanders team that does a lot of the same things the Bruins do. New York had its way with Boston early in the season, winning the first five meetings between the East Division foes.
That all changed when Boston was able to acquire Hall from the Sabres. He seems to have reenergized center David Krejci, and the chemistry among Hall, Krejci and shot-happy winger Craig Smith has been aces for Cassidy's team. The defensive-minded Islanders, led by a top D pairing featuring Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock, were very good at limiting the Bruins when they were mostly a one-line team.
The Bruins, with a motivated Hall, present a more difficult challenge and are relatively heavy betting favorites because of that. And if he can continue this level of play, everyone in Black and Gold -- including he and Marchand -- will benefit.
