In the latest edition of Boston Bruins News & Rumors, the club will honor their new captain on Monday afternoon (Feb. 19) in a pregame ceremony, a fourth-line forward who scored his first goal as a Bruin appears to be getting another opportunity, an injury occurs, a player is placed on waivers and more.
Bruins to Honor Marchand Before Dallas Game
Before Monday afternoon’s game on Feb. 19 against the Dallas Stars, the Bruins will honor captain Brad Marchand for playing in his 1,000th career game on Feb. 13 at the TD Garden against the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 3-2 shootout loss. He had a pair of assists in that game on second-period goals from James van Riemsdyk and Charlie McAvoy.
“It is very special to hit this point,” Marchand said. It’s something I think we’re all proud of as a family. We will enjoy all of that. But the fun part, as well, is playing the game and the competitive part comes out.”
The Bruins will be looking to end a seven-game homestand on a good note. So far, they’ve gone 1-3-2 and not looked anywhere like the team they were before the All-Star Break. This is the second and last game against the Stars this season after Boston beat them, 3-2, on Nov. 6 in a game where the Black and Gold got goals from John Beecher, Mason Lohrei, and Marchand. Two of those three players are currently in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Providence Bruins.
Bruins Place Oskar Steen on Waivers
In somewhat of a not-so-surprise move Sunday (Feb. 18), the Bruins placed fourth-line forward Oskar Steen on waivers. This season, the 165th pick in the sixth round of the 2016 Entry Draft has just one goal, on Nov. 14 against the Buffalo Sabres, in 34 games and did not play against the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 16 in a 5-4 overtime loss. In 60 career games for Boston, the 25-year-old had four goals and eight points in 60 games, but he has just never been able to carve out a full-time role and contribute despite getting many chances.
Anthony Richard Getting Another Shot
One of the more frustrating aspects of the overtime loss to the Kings was the fact that the Bruins held a 3-1 lead after two periods and a reason why they held that lead was because of Anthony Richard. In the second period and with Boston holding a 2-1 lead, the 27-year-old was alone in front of the net when the puck came to him and he roofed over Los Angeles goalie David Rittich. After the game, his head coach said that he’ll likely get more time in the lineup because of his work ethic.
“I think his compete and his willingness to be hard on walls and to be hard down on the forecheck, I think that buys him another game more than the goal itself. The goal is nice. Great to see him have that poise right at the net front.”
Jim Montgomery (from ‘Anthony Richard scores his first goal as a Bruin, but he would have preferred a win,’ Boston Globe, Feb. 18, 2024)
Against the Kings, Richard played just 13 shifts for a total of eight minutes. This season with the P-Bruins, he had 19 goals and 19 assists in 41 games. Jesper Boqvist, who Richard played with in Providence this season, set up the goal with a pass from behind the net.
Jakub Lauko Injured
The Bruins have several problems currently during the current homestand, but one of the biggest might be the way that their fourth line is playing. Richard scored against the Kings, but overall, it’s been a struggle and Montgomery is trying to find the right pieces to put together. It appears that against the Stars, he might be looking to add another piece to the trio.
Jakub Lauko missed Sunday’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena and after the practice, Montgomery said that he’s dealing with an upper-body injury and is questionable against Dallas. Regardless of whether he plays or not, the Bruins have a fourth-line issue they need to figure out.
Bruins Facing Tough Road Trip
After playing Dallas, the Bruins will head out on the road for a four-game road trip through Western Canada and the Northwest. They will play the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks and Seattle Kraken before returning to Boston. With the way things are going now, getting away from Boston and out on the road might be the best thing for them. It certainly can’t get any worse.
Related: Bruins News & Rumors: Marchand, Ullmark, Cooper & More
It’s just past mid-February, but the game against the Stars could be considered a must-win before hitting the road. Boston currently sits in second place behind the Florida Panthers in the Atlantic Division, firing things and playing better hockey is a must before they worry about regaining the lead in the division.