Boston Bruins: Brandon Carlo elevates his game in a shutdown role
By jc
Brandon Carlo continues to be a defensive force for the Boston Bruins this season.
When you think of the Boston Bruins defense, Brandon Carlo is never the name that comes to mind first. Nonetheless, Carlo might be the most reliable defenseman in the lineup right now.
After three years of steady progress, the Bruins inked Carlo to a two-year extension with a $2.85 million cap hit. This was a fair deal for both sides, and it was a sign that Boston expected continued development from Carlo.
So far, Carlo certainly lived up to his end of the bargain. In fact, he exceeded even what his biggest fans anticipated from him this season.
Brandon Carlo anchors Boston’s second defense pairing
In his first 39 games this season, Carlo averages almost 20 minutes of ice time per game. He usually plays on the second defense pairing alongside Torey Krug.
Carlo is the perfect complement to Krug because his steady play and strong defensive skills give Krug the leeway to jump up the ice and join the attack. Plus, Carlo is a remarkably great skater for his size, so he fits in when Krug and company try to pick up the pace.
In the most recent game against the Sabres, Carlo moved up to the top pair with Zdeno Chara because Krug and Charlie McAvoy were out with injuries. Carlo had one of his strongest games of the season, as he finished with one goal, one hit, and one takeway in over 26 minutes.
This builds off Carlo’s strong effort last Monday against the Capitals. Since Chara was out of the lineup, Carlo logged over 25 minutes versus Washington’s top forwards. He was up to the task all night, and he finished with a +2 rating.
Carlo was especially dominant on the penalty kill against the Capitals and Sabres. This special teams success is nothing new.