SUNRISE, Fla. — All Justin Brazeau needed was a chance.
Such an opportunity came Monday night when he collected the puck near center ice at Amerant Bank Arena. With only Sergei Bobrovsky in front of him, the 26-year-old forward turned on the afterburners.
Brazeau used his 6-foot-5, 220-pound frame to protect the puck from defenseman Aaron Ekblad, outmuscling the blueliner to the outside while sliding into the crease. Bobrovsky's slide to the right was in vain, and Brazeau's series of shots ended with the puck crossing the goal line, adding his first career playoff goal to his resume.
“He's incredibly skilled,” fellow rookie Mason Loley said of Brazeau after Boston's 5-1 win over Florida. “A great finisher in tight, which is deceptive for a big player. But he has a goalscorer's touch and it's very cool to see him do the forehand and backhand there. is.”
Brazeau's opportunistic strike off the rush was emblematic of his first NHL campaign. The undrafted power forward and former Junior League standout finally has a chance to prove he belongs at the highest level of hockey.
And for now, the Bruins are benefiting from acquiring a big body from New Liskeard, Ont.
“I've always been here and had the belief that I could do this kind of thing,” Brazeau said after lighting the lamp on Monday. “So, I can't say I didn't believe it. But obviously, coming into this year with just an AHL contract was a little bit surreal. So I'm very happy to be here. .”
Mr. Brazeau's path to Boston was anything but a straight one. Despite scoring an impressive 113 points in 68 games in his final season of junior hockey with the North Bay Battalion in 2018-19, Brazeau was only able to parlay that into an AHL contract with the Maple Leafs. .
After failing to establish himself as a key cog in Toronto's promising pipeline, Brazeau ultimately settled with the Bruins after signing with them for the 2021-22 season. He played in a total of 167 games with Providence after spending time in the ECHL with the Maine Mariners.
Brazeau's combination of size and finishing talent on Grade A ice makes him a prospect worth involving. That belief in him is now paying big dividends for Boston when it needs it most on its depth chart.
After establishing himself as one of Boston's top surprises during regular season play (5 goals, 2 assists in 19 games), Brazeau returned to the Bruins lineup for Game 5 vs. Toronto. He got his first taste of competition in more than three weeks after the game. He injured his upper body on April 2 in Nashville.
Montgomery said his postseason return was “rusty” in Game 5 against Toronto. He logged 9 minutes and 36 seconds of ice time in Boston's Game 6 against the Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.
But everything fell back into place in Boston's do-or-die Game 7 on Saturday. Brazeau, who was positioned next to Trent Frederic and James van Riemsdyk on the third line, led all Bruins players in shot attempts (10) and scoring opportunities (six) against Toronto. He had a secondary helper on Hampus Lindholm's tying goal in the third period, but it was a byproduct of a clinic of prolonged puck possession.
That momentum carried over into Monday's series opener against Florida, where Brazeau's explosive acceleration while pulling away from Ekblad was evidence of the winger's progress since joining the Bruins organization. became.
“I think that's been the case my whole career. I've always been told I'm not a good enough skater,” Brazeau admitted. “So, it's something I've always worked towards. I continue to work to this day. So it was obviously nice to get that.”
Brazeau and his new linemates' impact went far beyond his highlight reel records. The Van Riemsdyk, Frederick, and Brazeau line logged 21 minutes and 43 seconds of 5-on-5 ice time during the postseason, and the Bruins outscored their opponents 2-0, giving them an overwhelming 9-0 advantage at the high level. is maintained. A dangerous scoring chance.
“I think we can be really good,” Brazeau said. “I think we play a similar type of game. We try to keep it simple. I don’t think we try to overcomplicate anything. I think we're just focused on doing a good job on our checks and really supporting each other. So when we have a stalled pack, we get it back on track. So that's what's playing into our strengths. I think it's going well so far.”
If the Bruins plan to extend the season into late May or early June, they will need a forward who can generate looks off Grade A ice. Having a player of Brazeau's size certainly helps accomplish the above goals, both as a net-front monolith and as a puck vacuum along the end boards.
But Montgomery and his coaches believe there's more to Brazeau's game than just his size. That was evidenced by Monday's deft finish against Bobrovsky, spurred by years of faith in a player who is finally going to take the shot.
So far, Brazeau is making the most of it.
“The way he played in Game 7 and the way he played tonight was what you saw in the regular season,” Montgomery said of Brazeau. “That's why I put him in Game 5 because he needed to get into a rhythm and we believe he's a great hockey player who can really help us offensively and defensively. So that's what we think is part of him that you're aware of. ”
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