Boston Bruins
With the Bruins scoring simply three objectives in its final three video games, James Hagens might give Boston a jolt with the playoffs simply weeks away.
COMMENTARY
The excellent news? The Boston Bruins are inching nearer and nearer to a playoff berth.
After banking a degree in a largely disheartening additional time loss to the Flyers, Boston’s playoff hopes at the moment sit at 97.3 p.c with simply 4 video games left within the common season (per MoneyPuck).
The dangerous information? These favorable odds have masked an unsightly stretch the place Marco Sturm’s membership has dropped three video games in a row — sullying the constructive momentum that Boston secured by beating four legitimate opponents over the previous week.
As ugly as Sunday’s additional time interval was in opposition to the Flyers — due largely to some careless play from two leaders in David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy — Boston’s points run deeper than that.
A prevailing theme in Boston’s latest slide has been rooted in a stagnant offensive efficiency, with some painful regression throughout a number of spots on the depth chart giving Sturm’s group little margin for error.
In Boston’s final three video games, they’ve solely scored three objectives. Over these 9 durations in regulation, the Bruins landed 10 or extra pictures on objective simply 3 times.
Even with Pavel Zacha securing Boston’s lone objective on Sunday by way of a power-play objective, Boston’s man benefit has been mired in a stoop because the return from the Olympic break.
During the last 20 video games, the Bruins’ man benefit is just cashing in on 15.6 p.c of its alternatives — rating twenty eighth within the NHL over that stretch.
With the playoffs proper across the nook, Boston is in determined want of a jolt up entrance.
Might James Hagens be that sought-after spark?
The Bruins had a front-row seat to what a blue-chip prospect can do for an ascending group on Sunday night.
Porter Martone — taken one decide earlier than the Bruins drafted Hagens seventh general within the 2025 NHL Draft — made his presence felt for the Flyers at Xfinity Cellular Enviornment.
In his fourth sport within the NHL ranks, the 19-year-old Martone had the first helper on the Flyers’ lone objective in regulation earlier than scoring his first professional tally in additional time to assist Philly financial institution two important factors of their late-season playoff push.
Martone — who thrived in his lone season at Michigan State this winter (50 factors in 35 video games) — made the soar proper to the NHL after the Spartans’ season got here to an in depth, with the Flyers including the pugnacious energy ahead to their roster in hopes of a late-season push.
The Bruins have opted for a extra conservative strategy with Hagens, who posted 47 factors in 34 video games with Boston Faculty as a sophomore.
The 19-year-old ahead is currently on an AHL amateur tryout contract (ATO) with the Windfall Bruins, giving him some expertise and an prolonged runway to acclimate to the professional sport.
Boston nonetheless has the choice to signal Hagens to his entry-level contract — including him to the NHL roster for the stretch run and a (possible) playoff look at TD Backyard.
Hagens hasn’t precisely stuffed the stat sheet within the AHL with 4 factors (one objective, three assists) over six video games.
However, the previous BC star’s passing skill, passing capabilities, and power-play abilities have all popped for the P-Bruins over his restricted stint in opposition to AHL competitors. All abilities that will seemingly bolster Boston’s lagging offense as of late.
Signing Hagens to his ELC would forestall him from rejoining Windfall for a doubtlessly fruitful Calder Cup playoff run. Nonetheless, there’s so much to love about what the expert ahead might supply the Bruins as an on-ice adrenaline shot over the subsequent few weeks.
Slotting Hagens on a 3rd line with a laboring Morgan Geekie and Elias Lindholm may be the subsequent contingency plan Boston must embrace to be able to get a number of segments of the lineup firing once more.
Merely put, a reworked prime line of Geekie, Lindholm, and Pastrnak has not labored this season.
Of their 294 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time collectively, the Bruins have been outscored, 14-12 (per Natural Stat Trick). Not what you need to see out of your supposed prime line.
By placing a gifted playmaker like Hagens on a line with Geekie and Lindholm, it could permit Sturm to maintain Pastrnak stapled to the “Child Line” with Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov — a ahead trio that has outscored the competitors, 15-6, in their 188 minutes of 5-on-5 reps.
At this level, Sturm must exhaust all of his choices to attempt to get Geekie rolling once more. Following Sunday’s loss, the Bruins’ 34-goal scorer has not lit the lamp in 17 straight video games — and has achieved so simply two instances in his final 22 video games.
It ought to come as little shock that Boston’s energy play has additionally been sapped of its efficiency when Geekie’s blistering one-timer has been neutralized.
It’s to be anticipated for there to be some rising pains for Hagens at hockey’s highest degree. However, the skating expertise and hockey IQ in his toolkit are already fairly evident, whereas a third-line spot provides him a perfect touchdown spot to earn his stripes with out being uncovered to heavy minutes.
A poised puck-carrier and passer ike Hagens may be the best choice remaining for Boston to assist get Geekie out of his rut — whereas his knack for producing clear entries would additionally give the Bruins a lift on their lagging energy play.
There’s no assure that Hagens will be capable to change Martone’s rapid success within the NHL ranks.
And positive, the Bruins may be kicking themselves if Hagens is dominated out of an prolonged Calder Cup run this spring.
However, chopping one’s tooth over 4 to seven video games of NHL playoff hockey would possibly serve Hagens higher in the long term, versus 15-plus video games in opposition to AHL competitors.
And, if Hagens does give Boston a shot within the arm? This membership could possibly be taking part in a bit greater than only one spherical of postseason hockey.
Join the At present publication
Get the whole lot you could know to start out your day, delivered proper to your inbox each morning.
