LAS VEGAS — In Thursday’s third period, Brayden McNabb settled the puck in the defensive zone. Mason Lohrei pinched down the right-side wall to disrupt McNabb’s pending outlet pass.
As the lone Boston Bruins defenseman back, Matt Grzelcyk drifted into the neutral zone. It was the right move.
But as soon as Trent Frederic intercepted McNabb’s clear inside the offensive blue line, Grzelcyk stomped on the brakes and raced up the ice. This was also the right move.
By the time Frederic surveyed his options, Grzelcyk made it to the blue line. The defenseman received Frederic’s pass. He promptly fired the puck on net. It deflected off Alec Martinez and past Logan Thompson for the Bruins’ only goal in the 2-1 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Matt Grzelcyk 🚨 pic.twitter.com/HgPqxMEmHc
— Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) January 12, 2024
“All of us are just trying to get our feet moving, have an aggressive mindset and join the play as defensemen when we can,” Grzelcyk said. “Obviously, Freddy made a terrific play to me there. Just trying to get the puck on the net.”
Grzelcyk acknowledged feeling more like himself in the game. He attempted five shots in 17:32 of play. The Bruins held a 29-8 attempt advantage at five-on-five with him on the ice, per Natural Stat Trick. Grzelcyk’s 78.38 Corsi For percentage was the highest on the team.
Advertisement
Such performances, however, have not come as often as Grzelcyk would prefer.
Projected strength
Coach Jim Montgomery started 2023-24 with goal prevention as his go-to. He had Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman as his tandem. Montgomery was leaning on six returning defensemen, including his entire left side: Grzelcyk, Hampus Lindholm and Derek Forbort.
Grzelcyk, especially when paired with Charlie McAvoy, was a shot-suppression machine. Lindholm was fourth in Norris Trophy voting in 2022-23. Forbort’s primary job was killing penalties.
All of that has gone awry.
Forbort has played in only 20 games because of a lingering groin injury. The 31-year-old has been skating on his own in Boston during the Bruins’ four-game trip. His return date is unknown.
Lindholm is averaging 24:04 of ice time per game. It is more than the 23:11 he averaged per appearance last year. He is one of five Bruins to have appeared in all 41 games.
But he has just one goal and 13 assists. That’s down from 10 goals and 43 assists. His offensive play-driving has cratered.
At the same time, referees have been more watchful. Lindholm has taken 16 minor penalties. He and McAvoy are tied for the second most among NHL defensemen after Radko Gudas. Lindholm is averaging 1.03 penalties per 60 minutes of play, up from 0.91 last season. His latest was a careless high-sticking on Chandler Stephenson in Thursday’s first period.
Grzelcyk, meanwhile, is not having the contract year he expected. The pending unrestricted free agent has a 48.54 Corsi For percentage at five-on-five. It is the first time he has been under 50 percent in his NHL career.
It is not an anomaly. Other metrics are also career worsts: shots against per 60 minutes, goals against per 60, expected goals against per 60 and goals for percentage. The fact he’s been out twice, the latest with a shoulder injury, has not helped.
Advertisement
“Definitely,” Grzelcyk answered before Thursday’s loss when asked whether he has room for improvement. “First couple games I came back, I felt on top of it. For whatever reason — human nature maybe — I started sliding back and deferring to other guys. I’ve got to try to make more of an impact out there. I think I’m capable of some more. Hopefully, get started tonight and get on a little roll here.”
Room for growth
“The No. 1 thing is transition,” Montgomery said when asked about Grzelcyk’s difference-making qualities. “How he kills plays defensively because of his gaps and taking people’s time and space away. Especially from the tops of the circles in the offensive zone right through our blue line. Then, offensively, how he seems to be up in the play. He’s beaten his forechecker. He’s getting above the puck in the neutral zone, which creates odd-man rushes for us.”
It starts with Grzelcyk’s feet. They are exceptional. They transport him to the areas where he’s at his best: in an opponent’s pocket, on pucks first, up the ice to reinforce the offense.
Grzelcyk knows better than anyone, though, that he hasn’t skated to his ceiling. He’s been moving cautiously, perhaps with self-protection in mind to prevent another knock to his shoulder. But the 5-foot-10, 180-pounder’s size becomes magnified, and not in a good way, when he’s caught in between.
For Grzelcyk, skating conservatively doesn’t work. He has to be in a forward’s face to deter scoring chances. That means being aggressive up the ice.
“To be more offensive, if that makes sense, helps me defensively,” Grzelcyk said. “It gets my feet going. I think that’s when I’m at my best.”
That applies to Lindholm and Lohrei as well. Skating safe does not produce results.
(Top photo of Hampus Lindholm and Matt Grzelcyk: Chase Agnello-Dean / NHLI via Getty Images)
