Boston Bruins forward Taylor Hall isn’t letting the excuse train get a full head of steam.
Hall feels perfectly ready for the upcoming season, which will be his third in Boston, and doesn’t believe there’s anything holding him back from performing at a high level, especially with the Bruins needing him more than ever at the beginning of the campaign since they will be shorthanded due to some players still recovering from injuries.
“I ended the year really healthy last year which was nice,” Hall said at the 19th annual Bruins Foundation golf tournament on Thursday, as seen in video tweeted out by the Bruins. “So, I don’t have any excuses coming into this season. I’m not dealing with anything. There’s obviously a lot of opportunity for me, personally. There’s some players out that are marquee players for our team, and there’s going to be guys like myself that there’s a lot of opportunity. Opportunity to lead, to play primetime spots and that’s really exciting for me. So, got to take advantage of that.”
Hall admitted that the absence of key pieces — including Brad Marchand, who gave an update on his timeline at the tournament — puts more weight on his shoulders.
“A little bit of pressure on guys like myself to fill those spots and to come into the year and be a guy that can be relied on,” Hall said.
Since the Bruins acquired Hall in a trade during the middle of the 2021 season, he’s been a solid addition to the team’s second line. Last year in 81 regular-season games, the 30-year-old tallied 20 goals — the most he had scored since the 2017-18 season — and 41 assists for 61 points.
Boston will need more of that production, and honestly, even more out of Hall with Marchand sidelined. Hall should receive a boost from playing alongside David Krejci again as he believes the two have a strong chemistry together.
Hall and the Bruins will look to get started on the right track when they open the season in less than a month on Oct. 12 on the road against the Washington Capitals.
