BOSTON – The young guns have received a ton of credit for the Bruins during their dramatic rise toward the top of the Atlantic Division, and rightfully so given the way that guys like 20-year-old Charlie McAvoy, 21-year-old Jake DeBrusk and 21-year-old Danton Heinen have played this season. But it was the veteran Bruins players that stepped up and saved the day on Saturday afternoon in the B’s 3-1 win over the Red Wings at TD Garden.
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Patrice Bergeron scored a pair of goals and won 15-of-20 face-offs, Zdeno Chara was the Game’s No. 1 Star after playing 22:52 of shutdown hockey and both Brad Marchand and David Backes were multi-point scorers for the Black and Gold. It was probably natural that the young players were a little focus-challenged while getting ready to catch flights and head home for Christmas following Saturday’s game, and that’s what Bruce Cassidy saw a little bit of on the ice.
The veterans were grinding their way to a win, and refusing to lose focus in a game where that could have easily happened.
“We have talked a lot about the young kids, and rightfully so, they have earned that, but our veterans – we addressed after the game – they are the guys that were dialed in today and were our leaders. I was asked before the game a bit about that. I think, younger guys this time of the year, they might look ahead a little bit to the Christmas break, seeing their families,” said Cassidy. “They should be excited about that, but I think that’s part of the growing as a pro to make sure you’re focused, and then start thinking about [travel plans] at 4 o’clock. They fell in line, did a good job, but it was definitely our older guys that did the lions’ share of the work.”
Now all of the Bruins players, both young and old, are scattering to their homes across the world for a three-day Christmas break after winning 13 of their last 17 games, and in doing so putting themselves squarely on the NHL map for the playoffs this season.
