When a coach in the NHL is faced with the difficult task of choosing a final roster for the opening night of the NHL season, there is a lot to consider. One of the strategies that helps quicken the decision making process is determining who is capable of playing on the power play and penalty kill. Having a strong idea of who Claude Julien will depend on for special teams this year will give us a good indication of who will be playing for the Boston Bruins on opening night, and in what capacity.
Puck Prose
For the penalty kill, most of the same skaters will be reprising their roles for the Boston Bruins. The choices of defense are obvious. Zdeno Chara and Kevan Miller led the team last year with time on the PK per game with 3:03 and 2:48 respectively. I expect these two players to not only play together on the penalty kill but to also be a defensive pairing for even strength shifts.
Next is Dennis Seidenberg and Adam McQuaid, who were on the PK for 2:33 and 1:54 per game, respectively. These two will be playing with offensive defensemen Matt Irwin and Torey Krug while on even strength, but when it comes to the penalty kill, these defensive defensemen are the only other two choices that Claude Julien has. However, with the possibility of one of these four defenseman being the player in the penalty box (McQuaid was second on the team last year with 85 penalty minutes), Julien may have to reluctantly rely on Irwin or Krug, or maybe even double shift Chara.
Mar 8, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins center
Patrice Bergeron(37) talks with Boston Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg (44) during the third period of the Boston Bruins 5-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings at TD Garden. Mandatory
: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
For the forwards, it is easy to assume that Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand (who played 1:44 and 1:23 per game on the PK, respectively) will once again be up to the task. The other two forward leaders on the PK for the Boston Bruins last year were Chris Kelly, at 1:45 per game, and Loui Eriksson, at 1:36 per game (all stats found on nhl.com). Giving Kelly and Eriksson responsibility on the PK is a good idea since both of their roles on even strength will most likely be less than what they are use to.
Also, with Brad Marchand leading the team with 95 penalty minutes last year, it is clear that Bergeron may need a different winger on the PK at times. That brings us to Max Talbot who, before he became a Boston Bruin, was the leading penalty killer on forward for the Colorado Avalanche, at an impressive 2:26 per game. With Talbot playing with Chris Kelly on the fourth line, at even strength, it would make sense that they would play together on the PK as well.
More from Bruins News
- Bruins release Prospects Challenge roster, schedule Tuesday
- Bruins bringing back familiar forward on tryout contract
- The Bruins should take a look at these four free agents
- NHL Network lists Ullmark as sixth-best goalie in the league
- The Lasting Legacy of David Krejci
So, in the event that Marchand gets a penalty, the Bruins would pair Eriksson with Bergeron and Talbot with Kelly. If Marchand is not in the box, he will be paired with Bergeron and Kelly will play with either Eriksson or Talbot. With Chara, Seidenberg, McQuaid and Miller supporting these forwards, the Boston Bruins penalty kill looks experienced and prepared for the 2105-16 season.
What do you think? Post your penalty kill line ups below in the comment section.