The Bruins are making a change on the third line, and it’s Karson Kuhlman who will try to give Boston a shot in the arm.
The B’s and New York Islanders play a pivotal Game 5 of their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series Monday night, and Kuhlman will take Jake DeBrusk’s spot on the third line. He’ll try to help Boston get back on track after a frustrating Game 4 loss Saturday night on Long Island.
It’s not a surprising move. Cassidy on Sunday offered a fairly blunt assessment of DeBrusk, Charlie Coyle and Nick Ritchie.
“Third line didn’t generate much (in Game 4) — well, they didn’t generate anything, to be honest with you. They’ve had better games.”
Now, it’s on Kuhlman to provide a spark. Speaking Monday following the Bruins’ morning skate, Cassidy pointed to Kuhlman’s high-energy brand of hockey as something the team likes and hopes he can utilize in front of the TD Garden crowd.
“Do what you do best which is get on the forecheck. He certainly creates some secondary offense — he can shoot the puck,” Cassidy said when talking about what the Bruins need from Kuhlman. “(He) can get in and disrupt some of the breakouts. He does it more with his foot speed and stick than physicality but certainly capable of finishing some checks if they’re there.”
Cassidy added: “He’s a consistent, solid player. The other thing he’s good at is keeping his motor running if he doesn’t get shifts. If we get into power play situations or penalty kill where he’s not getting out there to stay in the game, he’s always done that well, so we value that part of his game as well.”
Kuhlman played in Game 2 of the series where he was a minus-1 but did contribute with an assist. Understandably, there was a bit of an adjustment period for the 25-year-old in his return to the lineup.
“I think the first game he was in, there was some apprehension about how much time and space he had,” Cassidy explained. “It’s going to be a physical series; it has been a physical series, so sometimes you need some shifts under your belt. I thought as the game went on, he got better. Good play away from the puck.”
As for how the lineup could play against the Islanders, Cassidy didn’t seem to have any apprehension about Kuhlman’s potential matchups. The Bruins coach said the Islanders have deployed their third defensive pair of Andy Greene and Noah Dobson against Boston’s third line for much of the series.
“Typically, they’ve tried to match Greene and Dobson against the third line. So Greene’s not a huge guy either down on his left side, so there shouldn’t be a mismatch there in winning puck battles. That’s what we hope.”
The Bruins don’t need Kuhlman to save the day. However, providing that energy and a strong forecheck could go a long way in making the matchup battle more difficult for the Islanders, thus opening up opportunities for not only his linemates but the Bruins’ high-powered offensive lines, too.
