Johnny Beecher was one of the lone bright spots in the Boston Bruins' loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night, which really isn't saying much. The Bruins' offense was basically non-existent for large portions, but Beecher's goal in the first period, and his speedy rush in the third period and slot chance seconds later provided the team a late spark. If it weren't for the Save of the Night from Scott Wedgewood, Beecher would've had a two-goal night.
Beecher brought a different element to the fourth line. He gave the team plenty of speed up and down the ice and was dogged on the forecheck on numerous occasions. It was the Beecher that Bruins fans grew to love over the last couple of seasons and the element that they were excited to see again in 2025-26.
Of course, Beecher might've been skating with an extra speed on Saturday night because it was his first game of the season. While Beecher was a regular in the lineup in the 2024-25 season, the Bruins' front office decided to fill up the bottom six with older veterans who pushed Beecher out of the lineup.
We all like our dose of nostalgia with Sean Kuraly, but his presence makes Beecher expendable, and Kuraly taking the fourth-line center spot is the reason why Beecher's first game came in the team's sixth. As good as it is to see an old fan favorite in Kuraly find a home, we all know who should be playing in that spot instead every night for the betterment of the franchise's future.
It might not be fair to pile on Kuraly, as he isn't the only depth forward blocking Beecher's path. After seeing how well Beecher played against the Avalanche, it just gives us another example of how pointless the number of depth additions were this past offseason.
It'd be nice for Marco Sturm to reward Beecher with more games after this performance, but that means one of the more veteran players will have to sit for another night. With the team struggling to find the right fit in the top six, there's a chance that we could see a call-up or two once the team returns from their Western Conference road trip. The question is, if that happens, where does that leave Beecher, as Sweeney won't want to see all his offseason signings sitting in the press box.