Throwback Thursday: Boston Bruins Acquire a New Leader
In their 2011 season’s bid for the cup, the Boston Bruins decided to bring in a few new additions to help lead them to the championship. One of the additions was forward Chris Kelly, who continues to be a force on the team.
On February 15, 2011, the Boston Bruins acquired Chris Kelly from the Ottawa Senators for the low cost of a 2nd round pick. At the time, Kelly was underperforming for Ottawa with 23 points and a +/- of -12. However, once he was sent to Boston, he turned his game around and helped lead the team to a victory.
Currently, Chris Kelly is having his 2nd best season with the B’s and is one of – if not the – most consistent player on the ice. Although he hasn’t had a ton of production (7 goals, 18 assists with a +/- of 11) he has shown his commitment to the team by dropping the gloves, making key plays and being a positive voice in the locker room – even if he can be grumpy at times.
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His contributions to the team are not lost on the players or coaching staff. Claude Julien said about Kelly, “He’s so reliable and he’ll (block shots) anytime and even under pressure he’ll make the smart plays, he doesn’t really panic and he’s a reliable guy. So he’s one of the guys I like to see out there whenever I can at the end of a game, and his willingness to block shots no matter who is shooting it is the most important thing.”
With another year left on his contract, let’s hope that Kelly can continue to be a positive voice on the bench and key player on the ice.