Bruins Defense Shaping Up and Stepping Up

Oct 11, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid (54) skates with the puck away from Washington Capitals left wing Liam O

“I felt good. I didn’t notice [the injury]. It’s always a good thing when you’re not thinking about it. That was kind of what I was trying to do before to make sure I was comfortable with it and not thinking about my hand.”-Torey Krug

There is no question that the Bruins blue line has been plagued by injuries so far this season, leaving only three players in the line up that haven’t gotten injured (yet). However, McQuaid and Seidenberg should have a free pass after missing last season in almost all of its entirety. Despite all of the injuries to the Bruins blue line, they have still managed to win 5 out of their last 6 games and after last night, get to add a familiar face to the back end.

Torey Krug appeared in his first game last night since suffering a broken finger two weeks ago. An injury that required him to receive 30 stitches to patch up a laceration from a slash on his pinky finger.

“I felt good. I didn’t notice [the injury]. It’s always a good thing when you’re not thinking about it. That was kind of what I was trying to do before to make sure I was comfortable with it and not thinking about my hand.” Krug said.

For his first game back Krug was on the ice for a total of 21:16, just 49 seconds less than team-leader Dougie Hamilton. While he didn’t make a big impact, he did manage to put three shots on net, block a couple of shots and end the night with a +1 rating. All in all, he played well and didn’t have any major complications or issues throughout the game. A definite plus considering the on-again-off-again antics with Krejci.

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“[He was] good, for a guy in his first game back. He’s been out for a while, and I think he had one or maybe two practices with us and that’s it,” said Julien. “But he came in and did his job. Obviously he’s not at 100 percent with his situation, but he seems to be handling the puck well. Maybe he didn’t get that many shots on net tonight, but still I thought he was a good player.”

While he wasn’t blasting a shot from the blue line on the power play and had some trouble gloving down a puck last night with his ‘injured’ hand, he passed the test to be re-inserted it eh line up and that’s what counts the most. The Bruins now have a steady defenseman defending the blue line again to add to the improving depth. For a team that is still without Zdeno Chara and heavy hitter Kevan Miller, his talent and presence will be a definitive bonus.

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Through seven games without their captain the Bruins have done a good job stepping up and putting their best efforts forward. Dougie Hamilton has absorbed a large amount of minutes and has been chipping in more offensively as well. His versatility has definitely been a silver lining to the depleted defense thus far. Adam McQuaid and Dennis Seidenberg have also been performing well despite coming into this season off of injuries. While McQuaid generally has a 30 game limit before going out with an injury, he has done exactly what the Bruins have needed him to. He has brought the physical game to the table that has otherwise been missing in the absence of Chara and Miller and with Boychuk being dealt to the Islanders. Through 16 games he has managed to block 21 shots so far averaging roughly 1.31 per game played and 30 hits, the same amount as Dennis Seidenberg, who normally leads the team.

So long as the Bruins keep the physicality and keep up the offensive pressure from defenders like Hamilton and Krug, the Bruins should be able to contain their opponents and keep the streaks alive until the full defensive roster is back to full strength.