BOSTON — If you had Jesper Boqvist scoring the game-winning goal in a tightly-contested overtime game between the Bruins and Panthers on Saturday, raise your hand.
If your hand is up, you’re a liar.
Boqvist, by no means, is incapable of making flashy plays. He’s actually quite skilled and has carved out a real role on Boston’s postseason-bound roster. He’s one of the Bruins’ best skaters, which is why he’s bumped up to the third line to play alongside fellow speedster Jake DeBrusk, after all. It’s just hard to imagine anyone foresaw him sniping the puck past Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky in OT, though.
Well… for us outsiders, anyway.
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“The guy looks good,” Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark told reporters postgame. “I don’t think he gets the recognition he deserves sometimes, but he’s a heck of a hockey player. He kills it every single practice, every single game. He works his buttocks off.”
“It was awesome. He works incredibly hard, and he’s had a great story this year,” Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy said. “He was up and then down, working hard down (in Providence). Then he came up and made the most of his opportunities, carving out a space for himself on this team and playing every single day. It’s awesome. He’s an easy guy to root for. He’s a great teammate and I couldn’t be happier for him.”
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Boqvist’s teammates and coaches have developed a previously unseen confidence in him. We already mentioned his shift up the lineup, but finding himself in an overtime game altogether is something some fans wouldn’t have envisioned.
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He was there, though, and by scoring the game-winning goal, he helped the Bruins sweep the Panthers in their regular-season series. It was a dagger that came from Boqvist’s ability to keep things simple.
“I’ve got to be honest, from the blueline down I didn’t think too much,” Boqvist admitted postgame. “I just kind of let it happen. That’s when good stuff happens, I guess. If you overthink it, that’s when you (expletive) up.”
If the Bruins hope to find playoff success, they’ll need production from up and down the lineup. Boqvist proved Saturday he could help provide that.
Featured image via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
