Boston Bruins: Half-Season Look At Ryan Spooner
Causeway Crowd continues its half-season analysis of the current members of the Boston Bruins. We stay with the forwards and move on to Ryan Spooner.
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Boston Bruins forward Ryan Spooner is a microcosm for the B’s performance this year. Ryan Spooner runs very hot and cold, and that can certainly frustrate the fans. Due to his performance, the 24-year old forward has found himself being juggled up and down the lines this season. At the end of November, Spooner found himself sent all the way down to the fourth line.
“You’re going to have to ask him,” said Coach Claude Julien of Spooner’s demotion at the time. “Obviously, you know, I’m not satisfied with his game right now, so he can answer for himself.”
Currently, Spooner is on the hot side of his streak, having earned points (seven points, three goals) in the last five games. He’s currently at 19 points (7 goals) for the season. When Spooner is on his game, he’s a creative play maker, and a great goal scorer.
Spooner is one of the hardest players to predict this season. His Jekyll-and-Hyde hockey makes him a very hard player to nail down. Best guess? Spooner can have a 20 goal season if he plays his game well. Realistically, he’ll see something closer to 16 goals and a 35 point season.
“I felt a lot better than I have in the past. I was playing a little bit, I guess, timid and kind of afraid [to start this season], but I’m 24 now. So I just got to go out there and I just have to play, and that’s what I’m going to do,” said Spooner back in November. “I have been taken off the power play [at times]. I think that’s kind of a message to me that if I’m not playing how they want me to, then they are going to take that away from me.
“So at the end of the day, I think the power play is something that I do well and I think I can help out. I just have to go out there and I have to play, use my speed and my skill. That’s what I have been trying to do.”