BOSTON – After going through his first 10 NHL games without a goal despite skating with David Krejci, Bruins rookie Peter Cehlarik found himself a healthy scratch in the last win over Detroit in favor of Drew Stafford. The newly acquired veteran scored a goal and had a multi-point game skating on Krejci’s line that will probably get him an extended look there after finding some immediate chemistry with the Czech playmaker.
The 21-year-old rookie might also get back into the lineup with Tim Schaller out for Saturday afternoon’s matinee vs. the Flyers with a lower body injury, or the B's coaching staff could opt for a veteran left-shot option in Matt Beleskey instead.
If it's indeed Cehlarik, the hope is that the view from the ninth floor at TD Garden was a beneficial one for the youngster hoping to make a big impact.
“With a lot of the young guys they’re going to have their ups and downs,” said Bruce Cassidy of Cehlarik, who has two assists and eight shots on net in 10 games. “We’re not down on Peter. Like a lot of young guys, and even some of the older guys too, puck management is crucial, and just being heavier and harder on it, with it and at it against men. It’s a learning curve and you just have to go through it just like everybody else.”
Both of those assists for Cehlarik came in his second NHL game and he didn’t convert on a handful of scoring chances and set-ups from Krejci over his 10 games, so the game-to-game consistency was an area that needed improvement. But it’s also much more about the 6-foot-2, 202-pounder playing much closer to his size and strength when it comes to puck possession and one-on-one battles, and not just be content to play the skill game when filling out a top-6 role with the Bruins.
While the fourth line might not the rightful permanent place for a guy like Cehlarik, a brief stint as a fourth liner could also do the rookie some good to really tap into efforts to get stronger and tougher on the puck, and in doing so could ultimately lead to offense for the rookie.