The NHL season is a grind, especially in this year’s shortened 56-game slate. Although it is not as long as usual, the NHL is packing in more games per week for each team. With as many as four games a week, with many on back-to-back nights, players have little opportunity to rest. This makes it more difficult to sustain high levels of play for an extended period of time. Some can do it better than others. Each week, we will take a look at players on the Boston Bruins who are on a hot or cold streak. This week we look at Matt Grzelcyk and Jake DeBrusk.
Hot and Cold Streaks
Hot Streak: Matt Grzelcyk
The injury bug hit Matt Grzelcyk a few weeks ago and he missed 13 games. Those 13 games are huge in a 56 game season. He has proven how valuable he is to the lineup in the four games played by the team this week. He contributed in big ways in a limited amount of playing time. Many speculated that Matt Grzelcyk would be Boston’s top-left defenceman this season, and spend time playing with Charlie McAvoy. While he was playing with him this week, Grzelcyk did not get quite as much playing time as his counterpart. He averaged 18:54 of ice time this week compared to McAvoy’s 23:47.
The important thing was the fact that he was inserted into the power play this week. With Torey Krug leaving the team in free agency, a large gap was left open on the power play unit. Grzelcyk’s skill set fills that void perfectly. He might not have quite as much ability as Krug, but he has similar talents. He put that on display this week with a pair of assists, both coming on the power play. The unit looked sluggish at times this week. When Matt Grzelcyk was on the ice, they looked better than without him. If he continues to play like this, he could be the catalyst that sparks an offensive explosion on an already dangerous group.
Cold Streak: Jake DeBrusk
Don’t let his one goal fool you. Jake DeBrusk has been abysmal this season. While he appeared to finally be starting to turn things around, he has also been bad enough to warrant a healthy scratch. In four games played by the team this week, DeBrusk only found himself in the lineup for two of them. His lone point came in a 4-0 rout of the New York Rangers last Thursday. DeBrusk’s defensive play has not been much better. The fact of the matter is, the 2015 first-rounder has not played well and needs to step up his game.
Some of Jake DeBrusk’s struggles could be attributed to his PDO. He currently has the worst PDO ranking of his career with a 97.3 over the course of the season. But that does not explain all of it. DeBrusk’s offensive output has been less than stellar with six points in 18 games. Trade rumours have been rampant surrounding DeBrusk this past week. While it may not be wise to sell low for the Bruins, that won’t stop them from at least discussing options with other franchises. Don’t be surprised if Don Sweeney pulls off a trade if he starts to heat up.
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