Oskar Steen is getting one other probability within the National Hockey League – and he’s earned it.
Steen loved a strong coaching camp however, with the variety of backside six candidates, the 25-year-old AHL veteran was despatched again to Providence after clearing waivers.
But he didn’t pout about it, as so typically occurs with gamers who’re shut to creating the minimize however wind up getting despatched down. He notched 3-2-5 in 5 video games and was arguably Providence’s greatest ahead.
So with Milan Lucic on LTIR with a foot harm and Jakub Lauko out for a minimum of week with an unsightly eye harm, Steen acquired the decision to come back up, bumping Jesper Boqvist – the primary call-up – out of the lineup for the B’s Saturday tilt towards the Detroit Red Wings on the Garden.
“He had a really good camp. He was playing fast and going to hard areas, playing inside the dots. It’s a real strength of his,” stated coach Jim Montgomery. “Talking to the staff down in Providence, (head coach) Ryan Mougenel, he said that he’s been really impactful the last three games. When you bring guys up, you want them feeling good about their games so that they come here with confidence and he’s a confident player right now.”
At 5-foot-10 and 19 kilos, the 2016 sixth spherical draft choose doesn’t look imposing at first look, however he’s acquired tree stump legs and a low middle of gravity that ought to assist him within the areas the place the B’s need him roaming, the so-called soiled areas of the ice. He scored a aim in preseason from the highest of the crease.
He was admittedly crestfallen when he was despatched down, however he didn’t let it have an effect on his sport.
“For sure I was disappointed. I was very close to making the team. I felt like I had a really good camp,” stated Steen. “I brought that energy (to Providence) and my game has been really good, so I’m just trying to build on that…I just kept going and I was trying to think that I would be back here soon. Now I am, so that was my goal.”
Going into Saturday night time, Steen had performed a complete of 26 NHL video games over the course of the final three season, notching 3-4-7. At the age of 25, he’s getting just a little lengthy within the tooth to nonetheless be termed as a prospect. He’ll have to play with some urgency if he desires to stay for some time.
On the opposite, Montgomery believes there will likely be a number of possibilities this yr for gamers like Steen, given the make-up of the staff.
“There’s just more opportunity to gain icetime this year than there was last year because of the way we are,” stated Montgomery. “We’re younger, we’re a little more raw, which tends to lead to either really good performances, or sometimes not as good. It also means there’s inconsistency, so the opportunity to come in here and gain minutes is more readily available than I think it was last year.”….
Free agent-to-be Jake DeBrusk, anticipated to hold a wholesome share of the offensive load, went into Saturday’s sport with simply two assists, prompting a chat with Montgomery in Friday’s follow.
“I actually spoke to him (Friday), just seeing where his mindset’s at. When a player talks to you, a lot of times they indirectly tell you what they’re thinking even if they don’t know that they’re doing it. That’s why I think it’s really important to listen,” stated Montgomery. “There was some hesitancy in the way he was talking and there’s some hesitancy in his game. We showed him some clips of what makes him a real good player and really it’s more about talking about what makes him a real good player. The best example is the game in Anaheim. The third period I thought he took the game over with his feet and his tenaciousness on pucks. A lot of times when players don’t score, they forget that they’ve stopped working and we showed him some clips of him not using his feet to pressure pucks mostly. That creates turnovers that lead to chances. That’s primarily what our discussion was about (Friday), his mindset and working.”….
Rookie Matt Poitras is seeing just a little extra consideration from opponents, given the way in which he’s been enjoying. After he beat the Ducks in Anaheim with two third interval targets, he caught a high-stick from Max Jones and a crosscheck from Jackson LaCombe within the sport towards the Ducks on the Garden on Thursday. He can anticipate extra that.
“I think you saw that even in the Chicago game. The second time you play a team, they’re more aware of who he is. And Anaheim, obviously, his two goals led us to victory so they were very aware and obviously made a point in making it harder on him,” stated Montgomery, who believes Poitras’ make-up is such that he can deal with it.
“He answered every challenge so well so far. He’s a hockey player. I think he naturally competes. Anyone that’s a natural competitor is going to find a way and he seems to find a way. He took that crosscheck, Jones went after him early in the first behind the net and then he makes that great play in the second (that led to Matt Grzelcyk’s goal).”
Source: www.bostonherald.com