Boston Bruins: How will they handle Ondrej Kase against the Ducks?
By jc
The Boston Bruins and the Anaheim Ducks meet in a rare weekday matinee on Monday at TD Garden.
Both the Boston Bruins and Ducks started the season with four wins in their first five games. Like Boston, Anaheim benefits from strong goaltending and defense. So far, the Ducks only conceded six goals in five games.
When it comes to the offense, Anaheim has a new leader in town.
For years, the Ducks lived and died by their two franchise forwards: Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. Perry moved on to Dallas, and Getzlaf, while still in Anaheim, isn’t the same player he used to be.
Now, the Ducks hand over the keys to Ondrej Kase.
Kase is only 23, but this is already his fourth NHL season. He burst onto the scene two years ago, when he scored 20 goals for Anaheim.
Last year, Kase got off to a really strong start. He had 11 goals and 9 assists in his first 30 games. Kase, however, missed the next 52 games after a shoulder injury.
Kase enters this season with high expectations. The Ducks need him to assert himself and become the go-to scorer. He’s delivered thus far.
Through the first five games, Kase has one goal and three assists. All four points came at even strength.
If the Boston Bruins want to beat Anaheim on Monday, they’ll need to stop Kase.