An unsung hero emerging in the Bruins' bottom six

Mark Kastelic doesn't have the prettiest style on the ice. He plays north-south, sometimes looking like he's dribbling a basketball when trying to stickhandle, and his offensive plays don't process quickly in his mind. However, at his best, Kastelic brings a physical element to the Boston Bruins' bottom six, wins plenty of puck battles, protects his teammates, and has been drawing penalties at an elite rate.

The Bruins didn't think they were getting an offensive driver when they added Kastelic in the Linus Ullmark trade. They saw something in Kastelic more than the enforcer role that the Ottawa Senators were using him for, and give the front office credit, they were right. Kastelic is no longer just a fourth liner who fights when the opportunity arises. He is now an integral piece of the Bruins.

Mark Kastelic becoming Bruins' unsung hero

The Toronto Maple Leafs had the benefit of home-ice advantage to get the matchup, but one of Marco Sturm's decisions on Saturday night told fans everything they needed to know about how he views Kastelic. There was a brief delay as the referees attempted to determine a penalty situation, and they eventually decided to continue the play at four-on-four.

The Maple Leafs stood at the bench waiting to see who Sturm would put on the ice in that situation, and despite all his players getting a chance to have a breather, the head coach chose Kastelic and Fraser Minten. Craig Berube decided to send Auston Matthews and William Nylander, which made me a bit concerned at the moment. However, I learned not to count out the formidable duo.

Kastelic stepped in to take the defensive zone faceoff against Matthews and snapped it back. The unit then broke the puck out, and Minten and Kastelic made it down the ice and established some puck possession. They made Matthews and Nylander play 200 feet from their own net for an entire shift while trying to hold a lead, which is all Sturm could've asked for.

The pairing wasn't done to make an impact. With the Bruins still holding a one-goal lead, Kastelic, Minten, and Tanner Jeannot were given another significant shift with three minutes to go. Instead of killing the clock, they took matters into their own hands and caused a neutral zone turnover to go on the attack. Kastelic made another steal at the attacking blueline, skated into open space, and found Minten to score an insurance marker that surely meant a lot for the former Maple Leaf.

There are several reasons why the Bruins have a surprising six-game winning streak and are currently in second place in the Atlantic Division. While there were concerns about the roster entering the season, players like Kastelic stepping up are why the team is in the middle of this magical start. It might not be easy for the team to keep it going, but Kastelic is showing the front office why he should be part of the team's rebuilding future.