Boston Bruins
“No matter they inform me to do, I can do it.”
Vladislav Kolyachonok isn’t any stranger to packing his baggage and traversing the continent to observe his hockey desires.
The fleet-footed defenseman solely turned 24 years outdated in Might. However, the previous Panthers’ second-round choose (2019) has already performed for six totally different NHL groups.
“It’s hockey. It’s a enterprise, proper,” Kolyachonok mentioned Wednesday following observe at TD Backyard. “So not all the things we will management. However I all the time attempt to be my greatest and stick with it.”
The Bruins stand because the sixth workforce that Kolyachonok will skate for — with Boston claiming the left-shot D off waivers from the Dallas Stars on Tuesday afternoon.
Ideally, Boston ends the carousel of golf equipment that Kolyachonok has joined as he seems to carve out an everyday function at hockey’s highest stage.
“No matter they inform me to do, I can do it,” Kolyachonok mentioned of how he believes he might help Boston’s blue line.
A logjam of succesful D-men in Dallas prompted the Stars to reveal Kolyachonok to waivers, ending his tenure after scoring a aim and including two helpers throughout 11 video games down in Texas.
The Bruins — already coping with a depleted D corps amid accidents to skaters like Jonathan Aspirot, Michael Callahan, Henri Jokiharju, and Jordan Harris — welcomed the chance to take Kolyachonok off of Dallas’ palms.
“We would have liked, I might say, some further assist,” Marco Sturm mentioned after Boston’s observe on Wednesday. “We’re operating actually skinny proper now, and we didn’t wish to get in bother with one harm away. So we felt like he can be an excellent addition to our D group. [Don Sweeney] and his employees had been scouting him for the final little bit. He looks like an excellent child. It’s good to have him.”
Kolyachonok — who skated as Boston’s spare blueliner throughout Wednesday’s skate — has appeared in 85 video games throughout elements of 5 NHL seasons.
Even together with his restricted reps, a peak underneath the hood at Kolyachonok’s metrics paints the image of a sound, puck-moving asset whose mobility has helped curb the period of time he’s spent snuffing out scoring probabilities within the D-zone.
Throughout Kolyachonok’s 134:34 of 5-on-5 ice time with Dallas this season, the Stars outscored opponents, 5-2, and held a 28-16 edge in high-danger scoring probabilities generated, per Pure Stat Trick.
“He has somewhat little bit of all the things,” Sturm mentioned of his new defenseman. “I really feel like he has somewhat little bit of offense, he can defend, I feel he performed some PK as properly. Once more, we have a look at him as a depth man and hopefully he’s going to get an opportunity, too. I don’t know when — however once more, we’re simply pleased to have an additional physique.”
A troublesome take a look at awaits
Sturm and the Bruins know what awaits on Thursday night time when Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the Edmonton Oilers come to city.
If solely that assembly had come a bit earlier on the calendar, as Sturm opined.
“I’ve seen them means too many instances with [Los Angeles], so I do know them very properly,” Sturm mentioned. “Sadly proper now they’re on somewhat little bit of a scorching streak. I want we performed them two, three weeks in the past, after they had been struggling. However proper now, they’re the identical outdated Oilers I keep in mind.”
After getting into Thanksgiving with a pedestrian 10-10-5 file, Edmonton has gone 6-2-1 over its final 9 video games. McDavid has lead the cost with a whopping 22 factors (10 targets, 12 assists) over that stretch.
Avoiding prolonged stints within the sin bin will probably be essential for the Bruins in the event that they wish to survive the Oilers’ anticipated O-zone onslaught.
Edmonton is cashing in on a league-best 32.6 % of its power-play bids, whereas Boston’s penalty kill is negating simply 72 % (18-for-25) of opposing man benefits over its final 9 video games.
“They’re very popular,” Sturm mentioned of the Oilers. “McDavid, Draisaitl, these guys simply drive the bus. So we’re gonna have our palms full tomorrow. … The ability play, these are massive moments. We’ve received to play in five-on-five, and don’t give them an excessive amount of room on the market.”
Jeannot underneath the climate
Tanner Jeannot was the lone lineup common from Tuesday’s win over Utah who didn’t take to the ice at TD Backyard for Wednesday’s observe. Surm mentioned that Jeannot is coping with an sickness, and the workforce will re-evaluate his standing for Thursday throughout morning skate.
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