Paille/By S. Bradley
So if tonight’s win over the New York Islanders was an audition to determine which Bruins players get to stay in the lineup when Chris Kelly joins the team Friday night in Ottawa, Kelly would wind up getting scratched.
It seemed like every Bruins forward contributed to the team’s 6-3 win over the Isles except Kelly, who was stuck in Canada because of visa issues.
Now comes one of the hardest decisions of the season for head coach Claude Julien, as the Bruins will have 13 available forwards for their game with the Senators. The Bruins didn’t relinquish a second-round pick to scratch Kelly.
Winger Daniel Paille might be the top candidate to sit. He has been a healthy scratch already 27 times this season. But he had points in three straight games entering tonight, and his screen helped Gregory Campbell light the lamp in the win. Paille’s speed has been a fine complement to the grinding style of Campbell and Shawn Thornton.
It wouldn’t be a popular decision, but against Ottawa Julien could sit Thornton. The Boston tough guy has skated in all 58 games this year and has scored a career-high eight goals. He has become so much more than just a fighter for the Bruins, on and off the ice, but the Bruins could give him a well-earned night off against the Sens (35 fighting majors to Boston’s 55), who just traded Jarkko Ruutu and might not have team fighting leader Matt Carkner because of injury.
To sit rookie Tyler Seguin at this point wouldn’t be fair. Two games as a healthy scratch last week obviously showed the speedster what he needed to do better, and he has become more engaged since getting back in the lineup. If Kelly’s at center, then Seguin’s at wing, and with his renewed confidence he might be able to find some room to use his wheels and add a dynamic the Bruins’ offense has lacked all season with him trying to fit in.
Blake Wheeler finally snapped his 15-game goal drought. The score wasn’t pretty, but maybe he’s going to turn things around — and he can’t do it if he’s in the press box. Nathan Horton missed the net four times in his 15:00 of ice time vs. the Isles and finished the night with just one assist. He has scored just twice in his last 16 games. Julien’s not likely to move someone from the first line to the sidelines, especially in light of the coach’s comments that he knows Horton is a guy that has to be encouraged often.
Had the Bruins gotten Kelly in time to face the Isles with the three-game losing streak intact, Julien might’ve done something drastic. Coming off a win, he’ll probably just go the safe route and scratch Paille.
What do you think? Vote for who should be the Bruins’ healthy scratch when Kelly joins the team.
Scratch Thornton and drop Wheeler to the 4th line. Thornton hasn’t been very effective lately, and guys like McQuaid, Stuart, Ference can do the fighting if needed. (Or even possibly Lucic if things get ugly and a forward needs to fight.)
It’s a short term problem. You’ve gotta think they’re going to move Wheeler soon.
they could have two “checking” lines:
MAR/BER/REC
LUC/KEL/THOR
SEG(PAI)/KRE/RYD
WHE/CAM/HOR
or, more likely, keep the grit spread around and flip Ryder and Horton:
MAR/BER/REC
LUC/KRE/RYD
PAI(SEG)/KEL/HOR
WHE/CAM/THOR
but I have to imagine tonight will be:
MAR/BER/REC
LUC/KRE/HOR
SEG/KEL/RYD
WHE/CAM/THOR
I’m holding out slim chance hope for:
CHA/KAB
FER/MCQ
STU/BOY
THOM(RAS)
or more likely:
CHA/KAB
SEI/KAM
FER/MCQ
THOM(RAS)
and expecting tonight to be:
CHA/KAM
SEI/FER
BOY/MCQ
RAS(THOM)
Perhaps Wheeler just to avoid risk of injury prior to a trade. Otherwise I would suggest Paille or Thorts, heck even Old Balls could probably use a night off.
If Julien is the coach I believe he is, Seguin won’t sit tonight. Wheeler might in a game or two though (If he’s still around…)
Matt – in your poll, I voted for Paille.. after your column – I think it makes most sense to give Thorton a raised fist salute, and a rest. Paille is in the midst of giving a middle-finger salute to those (like me) that have been critical of the skill portion of his game.
I think Thorton is a good call, and I think its the right call for the team.
oh i completely disagree MCK, i think wheeler, although not getting a ton of points, has silently been a beast this year.. watch how many stick lifts and turnovers he creates, plus he is really starting to know how to us his body this year which is nice to see.. i think that third line is really starting to gel.. i would give them another game let kelly get introduced to the bruins system on the fourth line for a little bit knowing that you can always bump him up to third line center.. thornton sits until paille’s streak is over then danny boy goes back to sitting
Wheeler is useless. He needs to sit. If they sit Seguin I will freak out
Thinking of the Claudes past decisions in sitting guys, the one guy who isn’t producing on a regular basis is Horton, so he should sit, IMO. I know that post says that most likely won’t happen, but the guy unfortunately is fighitng it so bad lately that I don’t think he could score on a shooter tutor. Maybe some time upstairs would help and it’s the one thing that they haven’t tried yet.
Anyway you slice it, it’s a tough decision tonight.
I don’t think Wheeler looked that bad on the 4th line when he played there after Savard came back.
I think Paille is probably the player I would sit, although I can see letting Thorton have a rest, but I wouldn’t leave him in the press box for long he is one of the few players I think always comes out hungry to win.
I think Seguin earned another game last night.
Kelly is going to center Seguin and Ryder/Wheeler, with the odd man out there moving down to the fourth line. Probably Wheeler.
We got Kelly to be play his postition. Center.
I think Paille on the 4th line is the best option, he’s a good player and makes a difference on the ice with his limited ice time ( whether its with points, his physical game or speed). Why not bench ryder or wheeler. I would suggest Seguin but he had a goal and an assist. Or Thorton if he wants to win.
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Given how Seguin has played since his return, I don’t see Claude breaking up that line right now. Paille sits and Kelly plays the wing on the 4th line.
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