Boston Bruins: Jake DeBrusk in for Game 6
With the Boston Bruins on the brink of elimination, Jake DeBrusk is being put back in the lineup for Game 6, according to a tweet from Fluto Shinzawa. DeBrusk should be immensely motivated tonight, as he of course was a healthy scratch in Game 5. He will be playing left wing on the third line with Charlie Coyle and Karson Kuhlman.
Ultimately, Bruce Cassidy had no choice putting him back in the lineup. When DeBrusk is on his game, he shows sparks of being a true top-six winger. Although this season was a difficult one for the youngster, he does have a 27-goal campaign under his belt. The team needs that player to come back tonight, as it is possible for him to find his game yet again.
In this series, DeBrusk has been held off the scoresheet thus far. This fact does make his absence in Game 5 understandable, but now is the time for him to change that. In fact, it is an absolute necessity if the Bruins want to win tonight.
The importance of him being back in his natural position is very high for the Bruins.
For major portions of the season, DeBrusk has been playing on the right wing. Although some players can thrive on their off-wing, this just does not mesh well with his game. It will be intriguing to see how he plays when back in his normal position. This is where, of course, he has had the most success in his career.
Another interesting element about his line is that Karson Kuhlman will be staying as its right wing. This means Nick Ritchie is on the fourth line tonight, with Sean Kuraly moving back to the middle, in replacement of Curtis Lazar.
DeBrusk has a real chance to show the team that he has still has a place here with an excellent performance. Hopefully playing with a faster player like Kuhlman will result in more offensive chances for the struggling forward.
No matter what occurs, DeBrusk being back in the lineup is an understandable decision. He has a fair share of playoff experience and has shown stellar play in the past. Yet, this needs to happen in the present, too