The Boston Bruins' blue line underwent a transformation during last year's run to the Stanley Cup Final.
After being a group that provided little offensive production and didn't skate or move the puck well during the regular season, the Bruins' defensemen were more than just physical, defensive-minded players when the playoffs commenced.
The sudden change happened when prospects Torey Krug and Matt Bartkowski, in addition to former first-round pick Dougie Hamilton, became important parts of the team's blue line in the postseason.
These three defensemen created a new-look blue line that incorporated more quickness, offensive skill and skating ability than Bruins fans have seen over the last decade. Before last year's Eastern Conference Final, Bruins head coach Claude Julien talked about the impact of his young D-men.
"The three young [defensemen], what they gave our back end was a different look, and it helped our speed. It’s not a knock on the guys that have been in there, it’s just that we got fresh, young legs in there."
"I didn’t expect it that early with [Bart ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Nicholas Goss
How Injection of Youth Will Impact Boston Bruins’ Blue Line in 2013-14 Season
August 19th, 2013 by Nicholas Goss Leave a reply »
Advertisement