When Bruins coaching camp started, few would have seen Jeffrey Viel as a participant that had a lot of a shot to make the Boston roster.
And contemplating the place Bruins’ administration focused its spending within the offseason – signing three established backside six gamers in Tanner Jeannot, Sean Kuraly and Mikey Eyssimont, all of whom have had a great preseason – he in all probability doesn’t.
However whereas Viel stays up in opposition to lengthy odds when it comes to making the varsity, it’s not as a result of he hasn’t put his finest foot ahead.
The 28-year-old journeyman ahead, who has performed 54 NHL video games and 349 AHL video games, has been extremely seen in his two preseason video games. Within the exhibition opener on the Backyard, Viel, Riley Duran and Patrick Brown made up what was clearly the B’s finest line within the 5-2 loss to Washington, enjoying a rock-em-sock-em type that stood out in an in any other case supbar crew efficiency.
Then in Philadelphia on Saturday evening, the person who has amassed 5 100-PIM seasons – together with 114 in 34 video games with the San Jose Sharks in 2021-22 – scored the game-winner late within the third interval on what can solely be described as a aim scorers aim, pushing the puck forward of the defenseman, reducing off the identical blue liner by going to is forehand after which lifting it over the netminder.
Regardless of remaining a longshot, a woe-is-me perspective will not be in his DNA.
“I’ve been round and I understand how this works,” mentioned Viel. “It’s about what you possibly can management. You’ll be able to’t let the noise from exterior be an element. You’ve simply bought to concentrate on what you possibly can and provides your most and see what occurs.”
Whereas it appears probably that he’ll be waived sooner or later within the subsequent few days so he can get despatched to Windfall, it is going to be attention-grabbing to see if there’s a crew which can determine that Viel’s toughness and professionalism is what it wants.
Does he suppose he’s opened eyes across the league this preseason?
“Truthfully, I don’t know,” mentioned Viel, who performed 5 video games in Boston final 12 months. “I’m simply attempting to concentrate on myself and dealing laborious. No matter goes to occur goes to occur. And no less than I will be happy with what I did.”
B’s coach Marco Sturm has appreciated what Viel has delivered to the desk – and he’s not stunned by it.
“He’s simply an sincere participant,” mentioned Sturm. “The factor about Viel is once I was in LA (as an assistant coach for the Kings), I performed in opposition to him loads so I really feel like I’ve identified him endlessly and I do know precisely what he brings. Precisely what I noticed I don’t know what number of years in the past is strictly what I see now. He’s a great teammate, he’s been working and he’s been enjoying some good minutes for us.”
Viel will not be about to surrender on his dream of being an everyday NHLer, nor ought to he. Shawn Thornton had performed over 600 video games within the AHL earlier than arriving in Boston, profitable a Stanley Cup right here and turning into a people hero to Bruins followers. Viel, a son of Quebec and Montreal Canadiens fan rising up, is nicely conscious of Thornton’s path to the NHL and takes inspiration from it.
“Clearly being a Canadiens fan rising up, I adopted the Bruins loads. I keep in mind that fourth line was large for years and years,” mentioned Viel. “I bear in mind rising up, I wasn’t probably the most proficient off the bat. However simply following these guys and seeing how laborious they labored, like Thornton and (Daniel Paille) and people guys, I bear in mind watching the 2011 and 2013 playoffs, they have been simply working so laborious. They have been placing the strain on the opposition. And that’s sort of what my function has been over my profession. I attempt to mildew my sport to that.”
That’s not a foul instance to observe.
Pasta talks PP
David Pastrnak, who missed the primary few days of camp with knee tendinitis, regarded loads like himself, selecting up a lovely help on Kuraly’s aim and dispensing 4 hits. However he noticed the facility play as an space for wanted development. It was the primary time that the primary unit – Pastrnak, Elias Lindholm, Morgan Geekie, Charlie McAvoy and Pavel Zacha – performed a sport collectively and he felt it confirmed. Pastrnak was second-guessing himself for not capturing when he arrange Lindholm for an awesome scoring likelihood that missed the online.
“Now we have to be extra direct and extra ugly with the seems to be,” mentioned Pastrnak. “Till we begin scoring targets and begin feeling good about your sport, it’s a must to get a few ugly ones.”… After having Tuesday off, the B’s get again to follow on Wednesday. They play their closing street preseason sport on Thursday in Washington. Extra cuts may come as quickly as Friday.
