The Bruins used 22 skaters over last year’s 24-game run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final — 14 forwards, eight defensemen. Tuukka Rask was the only goalie to play.
The B’s have already deployed more players than that this year, but a technicality and a luxury are involved. The three-game round-robin tournament they completed on Sunday counts as post-season games, even though the Bruins didn’t face elimination. And because they knew they [...]
The Bruins used 22 skaters over last year’s 24-game run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final — 14 forwards, eight defensemen. Tuukka Rask was the only goalie to play.
The B’s have already deployed more players than that this year, but a technicality and a luxury are involved. The three-game round-robin tournament they completed on Sunday counts as post-season games, even though the Bruins didn’t face elimination. And because they knew they were guaranteed a place in the traditional playoffs, the B’s used their three round-robin games, plus one exhibition, to give playing time to everyone they might need as best-of-7 series (hopefully) pile up.
The use of winger Ondrej Kase and defenseman Connor Clifton in Sunday’s round-robin finale against the Capitals pushed the total number of skaters used in four games (exhibition included) in the Eastern Conference bubble in Toronto to 24. Kase became the 16th forward to play at least once, and Clifton joined the lineup for the first time. No. 2 goalie Jaroslav Halak, who played the round-robin opener against the Flyers on Aug. 2, also gets credit for a postseason game.
"Basically, every guy that may get in over time — kind of our original depth — will have now at least played a game" since the NHL resumed a season interrupted in March by the COVID-19 pandemic, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said.
Clifton, who didn’t play for most of January and February because of an upper-body injury, saw his first game action since March 10. He was paired on Sunday with rookie Jeremy Lauzon, while third-pairing veteran Matt Grzelcyk got what Cassidy called a "maintenance game off." Depth defenseman John Moore’s pre-playoffs game action came in the Bruins’ exhibition game against Columbus on July 30.
Kase, whose difficulties fulfilling COVID-19 quarantine regulations upon returning to Boston from the Czech Republic kept him from joining the team for full practices until last Monday, got into the lineup at the expense of Karson Kuhlman, who had played the exhibition and first two round-robin games. Rookie forward Jack Studnicka left the lineup after the exhibition and round-robin opener, when Nick Ritchie returned from an apparent injury suffered during practice sessions at Warrior Ice Arena. Veteran depth center Par Lindholm’s participation was limited to the exhibition game.
Cassidy wished he could have found more time for less-used players, but with most of the Bruins’ lineup struggling to shake off rust, the regulars needed the playing time to get ready for the post-season.
"Not ideal for the Cliftons and the Moores and the Lindholms," the coach said, "but that’s the way we have approached it."
Kase feels good
Kase, who was roughly three weeks behind the rest of a group that began full practices on July 13 in Boston, felt at least close to being caught up entering Sunday’s game.
"I think it was a great week for me," Kase said. "The last practice, (Saturday), I felt very good."
Acquired from the Ducks on Feb. 21, Kase played only six games (one assist) with the B’s before the season was paused. He played almost exclusively with Ritchie, who was obtained from the Ducks three days after Kase arrived, on a line centered by veteran David Krejci. Cassidy changed that on Sunday, using Jake DeBrusk at left wing and sending Ritchie to left wing on the Charlie Coyle-centered No. 3 line.
DeBrusk-Krejci-Kase was "something that we had planned to do a long time ago," Cassidy said, "but just has not worked out."
"We’ve had a couple of good practices together," Kase said, "We’ve never played together, so I’m excited."
Around the boards
The Bruins didn’t take any injuries into Sunday’s game. ... The Capitals played without Norris Trophy (best NHL defenseman) finalist John Carlson, who was injured in their July 29 exhibition against the Hurricanes, and checking center Lars Eller, who had to be quarantined in Toronto after returning to Washington to be with his wife for the birth of the couple’s second child.