The Boston Bruins will soon begin their journey to a possible Stanley Cup in 2021. With the regular season nearing its conclusion that can only mean one thing, playoff hockey is back.
Boston only has one game left this season and then the chase for the cup begins. For hockey fans, it’s the best time of the year.
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The Bruins have a talented squad who only seems to be getting healthier. With all of their weapons ready to attack, Boston has a real chance at bringing home a Stanley Cup.
Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron seem to get better by the day and after the acquisition of Taylor Hall, David Krejci and the second line is absolutely buzzing.
But if the Bruins are going to win a Stanley Cup, they are going to need good performances from more than just the usual suspects. Boston will need quality performances from all over the ice.
So who will need to step up their play? Here are the three Boston Bruins who need to play better in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Boston Bruins: 3 players who need to step up in 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs – No.3: Jeremy Lauzon
The Bruins finally don’t have to worry about health when it comes to their defensemen. Both Kevan Miller and Brandon Carlo are healthy meaning that the blue line will be at full force heading into the playoffs.
This means that instead of playing on the top pairing, Jeremy Lauzon will be alongside Miller on the third pairing. Overall this is a much better role for Lauzon. There’s no reason that he should be a top-pairing defensemen.
Lauzon played in 41 games and was able to notch a goal and seven assists along with a personal rating of +8. It’s a solid performance but in the playoffs, Lauzon needs to be better.
It really goes beyond the stats for Lauzon. At the end of the day, he needs to be a reliable stay-at-home defensemen that allows for Miller to get involved on offense. As long as Lauzon doesn’t make any mistakes, Bruins fans should be happy.
So on a blue line that features a lot of talent, Lauzon needs to step up to the plate and have a good performance for Boston in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Boston Bruins: 3 players who need to step up in 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs – No.2: Charlie Coyle
At the end of the 2021 season, Charlie Coyle wasn’t looking his best. Now that he has returned from injury and will be ready for Game 1 against the Washington Capitals.
Coyle has struggled so much that Bruce Cassidy has given his third-line center spot to Sean Kuraly while Coyle now lines up at right wing.
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With six goals and 10 assists this season, Coyle had his worst performance since his rookie season. While part of the blame goes to a condensed schedule, it also reiterates how difficult it was for Coyle on the ice.
While most of the scoring will come from the top six, Coyle and his linemates will need to produce. They need to provide some supplemental scoring in case the top six has a bad night.
A lot of Coyle’s success will come down to being in the right areas at the right time. He is great on the puck and has great control. A goal in Game 1 could do wonders for Coyle and his confidence moving forward.
If Coyle is able to play at a high level, he will have a successful postseason, and maybe even earn himself the starting center position on the second line next season.
Boston Bruins: 3 players who need to step up in 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs – No.1: Jake DeBrusk
Arguably the most important player for the Boston Bruins this postseason is Jake DeBrusk. While Boston will rely on stars like Marchand, Bergeron, and McAvoy, DeBrusk could change the game for the Bruins.
Now Bruins fans know how streaky DeBrusk can be. He can rattle off five goals in two games and then not score in the following ten games.
In 2021, DeBrusk struggled mightily. He only tallied five goals and nine assists in 41 games this season. His play was so poor that he ended up getting demoted from the second line and even sent to the ninth floor for some games.
At one point it seemed like DeBrusk was destined to be traded at the deadline, but Boston held on to him. In his last five games, the winger has been able to tally three points so he seems to be trending upwards.
DeBrusk will start the postseason on the fourth line and it’s likely where he will stay unless the injury bug bites Boston. On this line, he will need to be smarter on the puck, but will also be the main source of scoring for the line.
At the end of the day, DeBrusk needs to be physical and get involved in the corners. If not he could see himself replaced by a player such as Trent Frederic.
But if DeBrusk is able to maintain a solid level of play throughout the postseason, and maybe even score some goals, the Bruins will be a dangerous team.