James Hagens settles in after quiet AHL debut, shows growth as game progresses

For the first period of James Hagens' AHL debut on Wednesday night, he looked like a player who wasn't far removed from his NCAA career. He took a massive hit in the first period that sort of knocked him off his game for the remainder of that frame, and his lack of puck touches in the first period didn't make it easy to settle in.

The second period was when Hagens finally started to feel comfortable, as a powerplay opportunity on the first unit gave him the ability to get some time and space with the puck. He was already the late drop-back option on that unit after only practicing once with the team, and his ability to gain the zone might've been his best trait on Wednesday.

I have been supportive of the Bruins' plan to start Hagens in the AHL, but it is ironic that the best Hagens looked was on the powerplay whiile the NHL team is putting forth some of the ugliest two minutes with the man advantage that we have seen in quite some time. If the Bruins don't make the playoffs this season, we'll likely look back at all the momentum-ruining power plays and shorthanded goals allowed post-Olympics as a big reason why.

Hagens may have looked good in some of those moments, but it was also easy to see why playing some games in the AHL isn't the worst idea. He was deferring to his teammates a little too much, looked nervous with the puck at times, and was even taking short shifts. When Hagens was at his best in Boston College, he was a confident player with the puck who the coaching staff nearly had to drag off the ice. The Bruins want that version of him when he joins the NHL.

One positive from Hagens' growth in the first game is that he might continue to get better with each period. Providence has back-to-back games this weekend, and if he continues trending in the direction he went from the first to the third period on Wednesday, Marco Sturm may have no choice but to give him a chance before the regular season ends.