Boston Bruins: NHL Defensive Landscape Changing
Two weeks ago, when the Boston Bruins hosted a press conference regarding the Winter Classic, offensive-defenseman Torey Krug spoke boldly when he said, “Why not just put me up there?” in regard of a top-four position.
Though he may have been half-kidding, the reality is, a guy like Krug deserves a crack at a top-four slot in this day and age of the NHL.
Defenses are changing, so it seems. The league as a whole is changing. We hear a lot of pundits suggest that teams need more speed to translate into their transition game. That’s been the case on offense mostly. Forwards need speed to receive the crisp passes from the D-man below the dots. From there, it’s on to the attack. Score off the rush. Having four-man and five-man rushes are the ideal situation. It facilitates attacking layers. It opens more passing lanes. Compared to the traditional three-man rush, it makes defensive assignments more troublesome for opponents. Defensemen in the rush help make quick transition attacks turn into goals off the rush. Overwhelm the defense with a cohesive unit of attackers. But it takes defensemen to make it complete.
That’s why the nasty brutes on defense aren’t needed like they used to. They are declining. Today’s NHL is a speed game – just re-watch some of the Stanley Cup playoff games from this year and you’ll realize what this game is all about. Speed.
Transition is becoming a key facet to success, and we know Bruins general manager Don Sweeney is aware of it. The Bruins, like most teams, are seeking fiery transitions from the defenseman to the forward. The defenseman pinches closer to the wall. They expand their perimeter. D-men move farther up the ice. This means the forwards won’t have to travel as far down low in order to send pucks towards friendly real estate. This, in turn, reduces the workload on forwards, who can then save their legs for attacks.
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In today’s NHL, defensemen are no longer doing justice by dumping pucks out of their own zone. They most be constantly active to fire pucks crisply up to the forwards or to avoid a reentry by the opposing rush. Defensemen need more than speed to accomplish the change in landscape of defense. They need to be constantly aware of puck movement like forwards. They have to be a unit, not fighting the battle alone as individuals. Today’s defensemen need strength, tenacity, and above all, quickness. Quick thinking. Quick passing. Quick staking.
Novice defensemen and veterans alike both play the position similarly. They were taught to cover the middle of the defensive zone. Ensure that the only pucks the goaltender sees arrives from above the dots, which, in theory, should be visible. Yet as young defensemen branch into today’s NHL, they are learning to pinch more. Smother the walls. It leads to transition. They are teaching defensemen to keep their gaps in check. The tactic also reduces scoring chances by the opponents due to zone-entry woes. Key is to negate any ability to move the puck smoothly as forwards cross the blue line.
A guy like Krug is perfect for this brand of hockey. He’s already rather mobile. He can be tenacious on pucks with his offensive mindset. He’ll help fulfill a four/five-man attack with his legs. He’s no Victor Hedmen by any stretch, but he gives the Bruins what they need on defense: quickness.
In an interview with the Boston Globe, Krug said, “Listen, those are decisions that obviously [general manager] Don Sweeney makes. For me personally, I feel like I’m ready for that challenge.
“Everything is earned. It’s not given. And, for me, I feel like I’m on that road to earn it. But those are decisions for the management, the coaching staff to make, so I’m going to do my best to make sure they make the right one.”
If I’m coach Claude Julien, and I’m aware Krug wants this that badly, I consider it. Heavily. With Dougie Hamilton gone, the Bruins have Krug remaining as the lone versatile defensemen. The one that can move with his legs in a manner that allows four-man rushes to form.
As it stands, the Bruins’ best defensemen is a 38-year-old Zdeno Chara. That’s not overly reassuring considering his career is on the back nine. Chara, truthfully, wont’ give Sweeney what he’s looking for when it comes to flowing with speedy forwards. That said, the Bruins can still adapt to the modern NHL’s defense. It starts by giving guys like Krug more serious consideration.
“I’ve always bet on myself, and I know you have the quotes of me saying that before,” Krug said. “It’s nothing new to me. It’s an exciting time for myself personally. You’re always trying to improve your role and you want to show your worth to your organization and your teammates, and obviously to help this group win the Stanley Cup would help all of that”.