Boston Bruins: Jack Studnicka deserves to get more ice time

The Boston Bruins fell to the now 7-0-0 Florida Panthers by a score of 4-1 down in Sunrise.

A bright spot in what was otherwise a listless performance was the play of Jack Studnicka who was noticeable from cover to cover. A positive sign for a youngster still fighting tooth and nail for a permanent spot in the lineup.

For Studnicka, who by all accounts has every offensive tool necessary to be a top-six pivot in the NHL, room for improvement could be found in his play away from the puck. Winning board battles and 50/50 pucks in all three zones has been an everlasting point of contention for head coach Bruce Cassidy.

So it was refreshing to see the kid’s feet pumping as he moved to disrupt Florida’s defensemen behind their goal line when able. Keeping plays alive and allowing the Bruins to set up in the offensive zone. In fact it was that exact type of effort which attributed directly Boston’s only tally of the night- Charlie Coyle’s first period goal.

But when the Bruins found themselves down by a goal with 15:29 remaining in the third period Studnicka carried the puck over the offensive blueline but had his pocked picked by Sam Reinhart. In transition it turned into a 2-on-1 for the Panthers, while Linus Ullmark was able to turn Reinhart’s shot aside, a turnover at the offensive blueline already down by one was all Cassidy could bear to watch from the young forward.

Studnicka ended the night with just 10:17 of ice time, second only to Trent Frederic’s 10:02 for lowest on the team. So if this truly was his chance to end the Bruins revolving door of second line centers, it certainly didn’t feel like it. Why not trot him out shortly after his mental error to see how he responds? With the goalie pulled for the final three minutes of the third period down by two goals, is there any harm in giving the kid a chance to shine offensively?

According to Cassidy, yes, there is harm, which leads us to an interesting cross-roads. Just how focused is Boston on grooming its younger offensive talent as it transitions to the next wave? In the case of Brandon Carlo, Matt Grzelcyk or Charlie McAvoy, all of whom arrived in an era where support was desperately needed defensively, they were awarded ample opportunity to make mistakes so long as they were learning from them. Could you say the same for Studnicka?

Ideally, Studnicka has plenty of time to continue to prove his worth but so much is dependent on the health of Craig Smith and Nick Foligno. If both return to the lineup come Saturday against these same Panthers, it could knock Studnicka back down to Providence, thus continuing the cycle.

Boston is back at it tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh with puck drop is at 7 pm.