BOSTON – It took a good amount of time and a healthy scratch, but Bruins left winger Matt Beleskey is back to full power and maximum effort after a slow open to his regular season.
Beleskey underscored that newfound comfort by potting home his first goal of the season among a four goal Bruins barrage in the first period en route to a 5-2 win at TD Garden, and admitted afterward he felt like the score was coming.
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“I was hoping so. I think it’s, you know, a matter of time when you keep doing the right things, getting good shots and getting to the net,” said Beleskey, who has a goal and three assists along with a plus-4 rating in 13 up-and-down games this season. “Eventually you’re going to get some bounces, so tonight we got some good plays, and got some points out of it.
“[The first goal] was great. It’s a great feeling to get that first one, but, you know, it’s one. You’ve got to keep rolling. Hopefully it opens the floodgates, but I think it was definitely a good start for our line.”
Beleskey has all of his points and 10 shots on net in the four games since his healthy scratch in Tampa, and that has made some difference for a maximum effort player, one who racks up and penalties and points while riding along with smart, sound Riley Nash and an energetic, speedy fellow winger in Austin Czarnik.
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Beleskey will have to kick it up a notch this season to keep pace with the player that clocked 15 goals and 37 points in his first season with the Bruins.
Now it’s a matter of staying healthy and generating good chemistry with players like Nash and Czarnik, who Beleskey will be teamed with for the foreseeable future as they carve out a new-and-improved third line for the future.