Boston Bruins: Czech winger facing the biggest battle this summer

The Boston Bruins have two Czech wingers, both enduring the frustration of training away from their teammates. For Ondrej Kase though, it’s a much bigger battle.

Whereas David Pastrnak has already carved out amazing chemistry with his line-mates, Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron; Ondrej Kase hasn’t really had the chance as a member of the Boston Bruins.

The expectation is that Ondrej Kase slots onto Boston’s second line alongside fellow countryman David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk. In an ideal world, Kase would already be working on his chemistry alongside them.

Alas though, this world is anything but ideal and the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantining rules upon his return to the United States sees Kase working out away from most of the roster.

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In Kase, the Boston Bruins may have acquired the missing piece to go on Krejci’s right-wing, but given he only arrived in time for limited Boston Bruins fixtures prior to the season suspension, it’s hard to judge his fit.

This all makes this upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs an even bigger battle for Kase. The Bruins went all the way to the Stanley Cup Final last year and most of his teammates already understand their roles and how their teammates play the game.

Ondrej Kase is still learning the Boston Bruins’ systems; no doubt he has spent some of this down-time studying their game play, but chemistry is seldom formed watching videos. What he needs is to be out on the ice, something he might not get to do alongside his line-mates until everyone convenes in Toronto.

It’s blatantly clear that the Bruins have acquired a talented player; his 20-goal, 38-point year in just his second NHL season speaks to that. Since then, he’s never quite gotten back to those heights, albeit playing on a declining Anaheim Ducks team.

This post-season could be his coming-out party; if he is able to form some fast chemistry with Krejci and DeBrusk, suddenly the Bruins look even scarier than last year.

Not only will they have one of the best lines in the whole of hockey, but a second line that can back them up and a third line that is equally able to play game-changer.

It’s going to be a battle of course, but given his past injury struggles, you’d have to imagine resilience is part of Ondrej Kase’s personality by now.