BOSTON — While Danton Heinen already brings value to the Bruins as a versatile two-way winger capable of playing up and down the lineup, the 24-year-old could be so much more with an uptick in offensive production.
Heinen shows flashes from time to time, and he did that again in Saturday night’s 5-2 win over the Ottawa Senators, in which he scored the game-winning goal during a third-period onslaught from the Black and Gold.
The play was largely powered by Heinen. He won a puck battle along the side boards, watched Jake DeBrusk tie up Thomas Chabot ahead of him while vying for the puck, and then swooped in before waiting out Craig Anderson with a patient forehand scoring attempt.
Heinen added a perfect dish to DeBrusk for insurance later in the period, and finished with a goal, two points and a plus-2 rating in 14:08 of ice time. He essentially matched half of his season’s offensive output in one evening.
The secondary scoring is essential from guys like Heinen, and necessary if he’s going to remain at second line right wing with David Krejci and DeBrusk. But Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy was most pleased to see some additional fight from the 6-foot-1, 193-pounder along the boards.
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“Heinen’s was a good [play]. He won a battle on the wall. Things we’ve asked Danton to do better this year is be heavier on pucks and battles. I thought he was tonight. He can do a lot of those things. We know he can defend well, we know he can make plays in space and he can contribute here and there on special teams,” said Cassidy. “[It’s] nice to see him win a puck battle on the wall because, you saw it, once he gets on open ice he tends to be able to find the right areas to go to, and good for him.”
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Heinen is now on a pace for 19 goals and 38 points after Saturday night’s outburst, and he now has a goal and four points in his last four games while getting a legitimate look in a top-six role on the right hand side.
It’s certainly something he’d like to seize control of after playing mostly the third line while the Bruins cycled through second line right wing options over the last couple of seasons.
“I didn’t start as well as I would have liked while trying to get my legs into it, but then I started kind of getting more engaged and winning my battles, and things started going a little better,” said Heinen. “I kind of missed the first puck and would have liked to have been a little cleaner. But then I’m just working to fix my mistake and get to the net. Jake made a great play on that and I don’t score unless he does that, so it was great.”
It remains to be seen if Heinen can continue to pick up points while being featured in his current top-six role, but the opportunity is there for him to seize. And it be a massive development for both player and team if Heinen could develop into more than just a nice 200-foot player and instead become somebody that can make a little more impact on things for the Black and Gold from time to time, just as he did against the Sens on Saturday night.
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