In the two-plus weeks leading into the mandated three-day holiday break, things were not going well for the Boston Bruins. They struggled to hold third-period leads, they were struggling to put the puck into the net and their special teams which were a strong point at the beginning of the season were slipping. Then came the three-day and in reality, it couldn’t have come at a better time for second-year coach Jim Montgomery and his team.
Two players that were struggling and not looking great were Jake DeBrusk, who is in a big contract year, and third-line forward Trent Frederic, who is coming off a pay raise over the summer that saw him ink a two-year, $4.6 million contract. Since the Bruins returned to the ice on Dec. 27 against the Buffalo Sabres in Western New York, both players have provided the Black and Gold with a much-needed spark.
Jake DeBrusk Returning to Form
It has been said a lot over the last couple of seasons that DeBrusk can be a big game-changer in the Bruins lineup. Montgomery has referred to that, as well as some of his teammates. Before the break, he went point-less in six straight games and it made you wonder what his future in Boston might look like. In the last three games, all wins, he has been that game-changer that his coach and teammates have been looking for.
Against Buffalo, he picked up two assists, both on Charlie Coyle power-play goals, in a 4-1 victory. Against the New Jersey Devils on Dec. 30, he scored the Black and Gold’s first goal in the second period off a pass from Brad Marchand to cut the deficit in half at 2-1 and began a four-goal onslaught in the period. Later in that period, he picked up an assist on a David Pastrnak power-play goal in a 5-2 victory. Against the Detroit Red Wings, on Dec. 31, he scored an empty net goal from behind the red line as he was getting tripped in a 5-3 win. He finished the game with three shots on the net and has seven in the last three games.
Related: 3 Takeaways From Bruins’ 5-2 Win Over Devils
Certainly, when DeBrusk plays like he does, he is, without a doubt, a game-changer in the lineup for Boston. When he’s playing to his potential, the 14th overall pick in the 2015 Entry Draft makes a difference in all situations.
Trent Frederic Producing When the Bruins Need Him to
Coming into the 2023-24 season, one of the questions surrounding Boston was whether or not Frederic could follow up his career year of 2022-23 and show that he earned his pay raise. The 29th overall pick of the 2016 Entry Draft had 17 goals and 14 assists for 31 points, all career highs, last season and seemed to have formed a connection with Charlie Coyle on the third line. Things have changed this season with the Bruins losing Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci to retirement and Coyle having to move up at times in the lineup, but since returning from the post-holiday break, the former Wisconsin Badger has been good for Montgomery.
He picked up an assist against the Sabres, but with the Bruins playing on a back-to-back in less than 24 hours with travel involved on New Year’s Eve, he stepped up for his teammates against Detroit who were tired from facing New Jersey the night before. He opened the scoring in the final minute of the first period when he roofed a backhander over Red Wings’ goalie Alex Lyon. Early in the second period, he doubled the lead with his second goal of the game at 4:25. In the third period, he set up DeBrusk for his empty-net goal and finished the game with a plus/minus of plus-4 in 15:51 in time-on-ice, something that did not get lost by Marchand.
“Freddy’s a sniper. People might take him for granted a bit, but he probably scores the most goals of anyone in practice. Really gifted around the net, the way he shoots.”
Brad Marchand (from ‘Bruins surrender two-goal lead but hold off Red Wings in third period,’ Boston Globe, Jan. 1, 2024)
Is Frederic a nightly game-changer like some of his teammates? No, but over the last two seasons, if there’s one thing we have learned, it’s that Montgomery is getting the best out of him and he’s showing at times that it was not a fluke that general manager (GM) Don Sweeney surprised a lot of people by selecting him in the first round of the 2106 Draft.
Bruins Getting Much-Needed Production from DeBrusk & Frederic
Since the Bruins returned against the Sabres, Coyle has three goals, and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk has two goals, both against the Devils. The more important production is coming from DeBrusk and Frederic and it is the production and play that the Black and Gold were not getting early in December. Now that they are stepping up, the Bruins are seeing the results not only on the ice but also in the standings.
