Seguin/By S. Bradley
BOSTON – Although he seemed to be the only one unaware of the situation, Tyler Seguin will be the Bruins’ healthy scratch tonight when they host Montreal at TD Garden.
The recent recall of fellow rookie Jordan Caron gave the Bruins 13 available forwards. It was pretty obvious during line drills at morning skate today, when Seguin filled in for the resting Mark Recchi on a line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, that the No. 2 overall pick from last June would find himself in the press box for the Habs game.
“I don’t think we have to overanalyze this guys,” said head coach Claude Julien, who rarely reveals his game scratches in the morning. “We have to sit somebody out and I know who he is, I know where he was drafted, I know all that stuff. I think right now, we brought Caron up, who we feel is a good fit on that fourth line, which I’m sure you guys know. And then [Zach] Hamill is here to have a look at. There’s a guy who’s in his third year pro, and he needs to have a look too. Right now, that’s the choice we’ve made.”
After he came off the ice with a group that included Hamill, Blake Wheeler, Mark Stuart and the suspended Daniel Paille, Seguin said he hadn’t been given any indication whether he’d be playing tonight.
After he came off the ice with a group that included Hamill, Blake Wheeler, Mark Stuart and the suspended Daniel Paille, Seguin said he hadn’t been given any indication whether he’d be playing tonight. The last four games, he has skated 9:26 or less, including just 6:37 at Carolina in the first game after the All-Star break. He has struggled to make the most of his time, not just with a lack of production (he has scored just twice in his last 16 games) but a lack of purpose in his play and no semblance of physicality.
He said he recognizes that he needs to better adjust to his limited role when he’s in the lineup.
“I’ve got to earn everything I get. Whether it’s five minutes or 10 minutes a night, I’ve got to be taking advantage of it,” Seguin said. “Even if I’m staying on the bench for a while, I’ve got to be able to keep my legs going and that’s something I’m not used to but something I’ve got to change.”
The drop-off in Seguin’s play has been as obvious to the coaching staff as it has been to this blog and other astute observers.
“There’s a lot on his plate right now. I think that’s what people have to understand. There’s a lot on his plate right now,” said Julien. “And I know he’s lost a bit of his edge and there’s been times when he’s lost the puck when he’s a guy that should be able to hold onto it. And there’s parts of his game that slipped a little bit.
“But that doesn’t change the outlook of what we think of him, it’s just a matter of I think it’s a phase he’s going through this year. … It’s a lot different at this level than what he’s been used to. It’s never a bad thing to watch, it’s never a bad thing to get a rest at this time of year because we know that players do get tired after the 50-plus games and all the travel and everything that’s going on. And this is his first time going through this kind of schedule.”
Seguin was also a healthy scratch Dec. 15 at Buffalo. He embraced it as a learning experience sitting in the press box with assistant coach Doug Jarvis. He responded with an assist in the Bruins’ next game, and after six point-less games he registered one goal and one assist at Buffalo New Year’s Day.
With Montreal in town tonight and a home-and-home series with Detroit coming up over the weekend, this is the perfect opportunity for Seguin to educate himself from afar and then get back in uniform for the stretch run. The Bruins haven’t given up on him, they’re just sending a message that there’s an expectation on him, and everyone else in the lineup, that he meet a certain level of performance and he hasn’t been doing that.
He seems to have an understanding of those expectations.
“I think getting a little more involved in the corners and battling and grinding a bit more,” he said. “In juniors, I kind of was able to stay on the outside a bit more and let other guys do that [before] I’d get the puck in the middle and go. Here, the good players are guys who can do that but also get their nose dirty. That’s the way hockey is, so that’s something I’ve got to adapt to and learn.”
Some will cry that Boston is “killing the kid’s confidence,” but that can’t be farther from the truth. The Bruins have been more than patient with Seguin, as he has skated in 51 games and even spent unearned time on the power play for stretches. Boston’s now making sure it puts the best lineup on the ice against some of the best teams in the league, and showing that at this stage of the season winning games trumps nurturing underperforming rookies.
That’s what organizations with Stanley Cup aspirations do.
Relax everyone he is just a kid he will learn from this and be better for it.Its different playing on the bruins then say Edmonton or Carolina Bruins are deep at center and most Seguin can hope for is a few minutes a night on the fourth line.The bruins are looking to improve on the back end and at center now that Savard is lost for the year .Bruins brass is shooping a few prospects like Hammil around see what kind of interest is out there and good for them we have a chance to go deep in the playoffs and win it all so go for it mr Neely and best of luck
Right on, Steve.
I’m excited to see him the next time he takes the ice – its going to tell a good bit about the kid’s makeup. I for one, think we’ll like what we see.
If this is destroying his confidence, then he is just another Phil friggen Kessel. I want nothing more than the kid to break out and become a points machine, but he can’t when he isn’t willing to take a hit or really take it to the net. Recently, it seems like every time he gets the puck, it is mishandled and turned over.
Just because he was the number two pick, doesn’t mean he deserves ice time. He has had 50 games to showcase what he’s got, and so far it hasn’t been an impressive stretch. In reality, no one expected him to be putting up a point a game, but he should be playing better than he is. It’s not only a learning experience, but it will also build some character in the kid.
Seguin is 19 and has a long carreer ahead of him. Hammill not so much, it’s shit or get off the pot with him.
It’s not rocket science people. Chia is talking trade, Neely is talking trade, Hammill is playing, Seguin is sitting. hello?
This has Neely tough-love all over it if you ask me. Remember, it took Neely like 3 or 4 years too. He played on the 4th line in Vancouver before he made the jump in Boston. He knows what it’s like – and he’s trusting that Seguin isn’t made of the same bland mush as Kessel.
They’re are 16 rookies ahead of Seguin in points scored, and oddly enough, all of those 16 rookies have more ice time. Solution: lets bench him, that should build confidence. Why put him on the power play, with free reign of the ice to try and get some points, benching him and putting Cambell on the PP seems like a much better idea. Christ, only on the Bruins.
You guys are wrong about Seguin. Yes, he’s a kid. Yes, he’s played a little over half a season. Yes, he’s better than Hamill – but if you’ve been watching the games – Outside of that goal against Dallas – and that was a BIG goal – he’s been playing like crap. He’s an absolute turn-over machine at the moment. He spends half his shifts sliding around on the ice – and he’s playing half a step behind everything.
This is what’s called a wake up call. Not only is he being sat, but he’s being sat for Hamill AND Caron. And not only is he being sat for a couple of fellow rookies, he’s being sat for Montreal – AT THE GARDEN. It’s obvious the messages aren’t getting through. This one will. Its not up to the coaches – its up to Seguin!
People forget too, that given where the Bruins are in terms of talent and expectations as a team, Julien’s job is to do what it takes to win hockey games. He’s not in a position like Edmonton this year with Hall/Eberle, TBay with Stamkos, NYI with Tavares where he can tolerate mistakes and chalk it up to learning because the standings don’t really matter all that much to a non-playoff team. Those clamouring for Seguin to get ice time while the team is nursing a 1 goal lead in the 3rd period need to give their heads a shake.
GR90 … bingo, definitely a good possibility that Hammil is being given an opportunity to showcase what he can do in an effort to create some demand for him.
I like that Seguin appears to get the message and realize what he needs to do, now he needs to translate it into action on the ice. I’d like to see him get more ice time too, but he needs to earn it.
deep breaths, segzy fanboyz. some of you act as if the justin bieber concert got canceled.
Already here.
This is getting a little ridiculous, all this blasting of Claude, the B’s organization, and even Matt K. Matt’s job is to provide insight and opinions… and as you’ll notice, he’s very gracious and open-minded when it comes to entertaining other peoples’ opinions on here. But if you want to be a flat-out jackass, call Felger and Maz and complain to them if you want to rudely crucify people.
Hamill could very well be on his way out, as this “audition” may just be a show for prospective trade partners. Seguin is anticipated to have a long, successful career in the league, and once he’s no longer green, I think we’ll be able to see that more clearly… but for now, I think the organization is blending the right amount of on-ice and off-ice education to get this kid acclimated to life in the league.
Remember the past two years when people called out Chia for being an “idiot” and not knowing how to run the organization? Well… as soon as his strategy to build through prospect trading and the piling up draft picks became apparent, and it put the B’s in a position of power in the market, I noticed a lot more people shut up. I wish more people would simply trust that this organization is being run according to a gameplan, by educated and experienced people, both in the front office and behind the bench. Oh, and don’t say that the Jacobs family just wants to build revenues and fill seats, and doesn’t care about a championship… from a business standpoint, don’t you think they’ve thought about how lucrative it could be for the B’s to bring home a cup?
I’ve never heard Chia sound so involved in the trade market as he has sounded over the course of the past few days. Change is coming, and good things await the B’s in both the near and distant future. Be patient.
Big game tonight! You going to be there Matt?!
I do not believe it’s motivation. Sitting him will do nothing. Playing him in different situations will allow him to grow as a player. Babying him will only cause confusion. Put him in the middle of Lucic and Horton and watch the magic happen! We can afford it. It worked in the OHL when he was on the third line not producing. He ended up being drafted second overall because of that coaching move. Imagine if the coach benched him…
Vinny, & everyone, I think you’re missing the point. Horton’s performances haven’t been the problem, it’s his production. With Seguin, it’s both. He’s not creating chances, battling. He even says it himself at the end of the story.
Plus we don’t know that it’s for more than just this game. I would suspect he sits against Detroit, but maybe not.
Nothing wrong with shuffling the line up a bit, it can lead to big things. Although he got his chance under different circumstances, who could’ve guessed that calling up Kampfer woould benefit so much? It’s better to shake it up now than to let the line up stale as play-offs draw near. That being said, I don’t think it would be wise to sit Seguin for extended streches of games, but one or two here or there won’t hurt and actually act as motivation for him to work on his weaknesses.
Mr. Kalman, I’m in synch with others . Seguin’s confusion is driven by a coaching staff that is more confused than the kid. Put him on right wing with the same linmates for more than a whiff, and he will show his skills and score. I enjoy your reports, but this one is way off center.
If we’re benching players for lack of performance, why hasn’t Horton been a scratch or seen his ice time diminish? Often times it almost seems like Claude is punishing Seguin with the benchings and the lack of ice-time.
A little harsh but I think Brian’s point is true minus the name calling. Putting in Hamill over Seguin is ridiculous. Colbourne, Sauve or Arniel maybe but Hamill no way, not a chance.
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i’m sorry but they aren’t “putting the best lineup on the ice” by playing a guy with 1 career nhl game out there at the expense of a more talented one with 51. you are an idiot. the kid doesn’t look that bad. maybe keep him on the same line for more than a week and you’d get some results. and keep him at center for fucks sake where he’s comfortable. claude is ruining the kid as a matter of fact. i can’t wait for your article shitting on a grossly underperforming krejci.
There are bigger issues at stake with this team right now, then sitting the rookie for a game or 2 or 3. BFD. He’s a cog in the wheel, same as his mates.
not a big deal AT ALL