The Boston Bruins have used the home stretch of their regular season schedule to catch up on some rest.
Boston, after clinching the Presidents’ Trophy with seven games left on its schedule, has used the remaining games to roll out new line pairings and — most importantly — get its veterans some much-needed rest. Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and Charlie McAvoy have all been afforded extra rest days, while injuries to Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno have opened up spots for the likes of Jakub Lauko and Oskar Steen to earn extended time on the ice.
Despite constant shuffling up and down the lineup, the Bruins have continued to string wins together as they entered the postseason. In fact, depth is only being viewed as a positive in Boston.
“It’s good. It’s good competition,” Bruins forward Trent Frederic said Wednesday, per team-provided video. “You want this depth. We plan on having a long run and sometimes you need more than 12 forwards and six (defenseman) and one goalie. You need everyone playing well, and I’m sure everyone will get in. When they get their opportunity they’ll need to be good, but it’s good to have. It’s a great thing to be a part of.”
Frederic in particular has helped the Bruins test that depth, as his versatility has allowed him to play all three forward positions in the bottom-six lines. That has allowed Lauko, Steen, and A.J. Greer to find success in the roles they are asked to play on any given night.
On defense, the Bruins have long been running a rotation of seven players, but added Jakub Zboril to the mix over the past few weeks.
If fully healthy, which isn’t guaranteed given the state of Derek Forbort and Foligno’s injuries, the Bruins have 26 players available for a 19-player lineup on any given night. That will not only help Boston head coach Jim Montgomery mix and match to his liking, but it will provide healthy competition within the bottom-half of the roster for playing time once the Stanley Cup playoffs arrive.
Not a bad problem to have.
