If you listed a few of Trent Frederic’s greatest attributes as an NHL participant earlier than this season, likelihood is that versatility wouldn’t have been excessive on that checklist.
Sure, Frederic grew up taking part in middle and did so in school at Wisconsin and a few in Providence. But a lot of the attention take a look at knowledge urged that, as an NHL participant, he’d be greatest as a straight-line rugged winger on his pure left aspect.
This season, nonetheless, is blowing up perceptions of Frederic.
Whether it’s been out of necessity due to harm or it’s the most effective match for the staff, Frederic has performed all three ahead positions, and has not seemed misplaced in any of them.
With Tomas Nosek nonetheless out for Saturday’s matinee towards the Buffalo Sabres with an undisclosed harm, Frederic will get his second sport centering the fourth line with Nick Foligno and A.J. Greer. His first sport there went nicely. He scored his seventh objective of the season – one shy of his profession excessive in slightly greater than half the video games he performed final 12 months – in Boston’s 3-1 victory over New Jersey Devils.
This season has been an schooling, in probably the most optimistic sense of the phrase, for Frederic.
“I think he’s learning that he can now be put in any situation and just go play,” stated coach Jim Montgomery. “And I hope he’s learned that the coaching staff trusts him in all those situations. To put him at center is because we trust him.”
Frederic stated taking part in middle for him will not be that a lot of a change as a result of, within the B’s system, the primary ahead again into the defensive zone assumes the middle’s function of taking part in down low anyway.
“But I guess it’s good to have that mobility and kind of help out,” stated Frederic, who cut up the 4 attracts he took in New Jersey. “It just gives you more situations to be in.”
What is actually getting him excited nowadays is taking part in proper wing for the offense that it sparks in him. He’s performed there most with Charlie Coyle within the center and Taylor Hall on the left aspect, although Pavel Zacha has toggled with Hall there.
“I actually like the right most right now,” stated Frederic. “It’s new for me but I definitely like right wing. I always wanted to try it because it just seems more natural to me. I like to take a guy one-on-one from the right side.”
The transfer to the best aspect has him pondering extra offensively, and never simply within the offensive zone, stated Montgomery.
“I think the right side has opened up the creative side of the brain to be able to think a little more offensively,” stated Montgomery. “Especially on wall play, coming out of the D-zone and neutral zone, he’s made a lot of smart plays to the middle of the ice that have led to real good transition for us and it’s something that’s a little easier on your off side. That’s why I think you see a lot of Russians play on their off side, typically.”
Frederic will not be essentially touchdown extra photographs than he did his first two NHL seasons, however the high quality of shot has elevated. He’s received a 16.1% capturing proportion versus 8% final 12 months and 9.1% two years in the past. He’s hesitating a lot much less now, whether or not it’s a fast catch-and-release wrister or a one-timer.
Montgomery joked earlier this season that he didn’t know Frederic had that one-timer in his arsenal, however the St. Louis native has at all times felt proficient at it. Playing on the best aspect has simply allowed him to make use of it extra.
“Me and my brother (Grant) would take thousands of shots and that’s the most fun shot to take, right? I took a bunch of them and I always felt I was pretty good at it,” stated Frederic.
But what’s working for Frederic most this season is the mindset that slightly little bit of success within the offensive zone has given him.
“It’s never easy but it feels good to get the offense going,” stated Frederic. “A lot of it’s confidence. Seeing it go in the net is half the battle, knowing you can do it. And just playing more free. In past years, I’ve said before, I was playing more to not make a mistake. But it’s a game of mistakes and you’re going to make mistakes. Obviously, you don’t want to make many of them. But you can also play off them and fix them and make stuff happen. No one plays a perfect game, no matter how you draw it up. Maybe (Patrice Bergeron) comes close. But it’s not like football where you draw up a play and comes off perfectly.”
Hat trick
Many coaches on the Winter Classic have gone trendy with their head gear, be it a Fedora or a scally cap. But Montgomery expects he’ll put on only a easy knit winter hat when the B’s tackle the Penguins at Fenway Park on Monday.
“I don’t have much Tom Landry in me. I’m more of a Jimmy Johnson guy,” joked Montgomery.
The Montreal native additionally stated he had two favourite baseball groups rising up – the Expos, in fact, however the Red Sox had been his American League staff.
Said Montgomery: “The ’78 team was when I really started watching baseball. And I hate Bucky Dent.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com