Bruins’ Seguin says he’ll hit someone, show ‘courage & passion’
Seguin/By S. Bradley
BOSTON — For those concerned that sitting out the first 11 games of the Bruins’ playoff run might have rookie Tyler Seguin hanging his head, don’t worry.
“I feel more confident than I have all year,” he said today at the TD Garden, where the Bruins didn’t practice.
Seguin’s going to need a full tank of bravado this weekend, as he’s expected to get in the lineup for the first time in the postseason because of the mild concussion suffered by center Patrice Bergeron. Seguin is penciled in as the right winger on a line with Michael Ryder and Rich Peverley for the start of Boston’s Eastern Conference Final series with Tampa Bay.
If just watching and learning what the Stanley Cup playoffs are like from the press box didn’t do enough to prepare Seguin, he says that the second half of the regular season picked up in pace and intensity enough to at least give him an idea.
Ultimately, the only way to have a feel for the playoffs is to be thrown into them. And the best way to get ones feet wet might be to come out of the blocks hitting, even if you only recorded 20 hits during your 74 games in the regular season.
“Absolutely,” said Seguin when asked if he’s ready to hit someone. “I think that comes with playoffs and the excitement and you’ve got to compete, you’ve got to battle and I’m going to show I have courage and passion and I’ve got to get in there and get involved right away.”
“Obviously I don’t want to change my game,” he continued when the conversation turned to throwing a hit on the first shift. “My game is not a run-and-gun type of player hitting everyone. But if there’s a check to be finished, especially in the playoffs, that’s something I know I need to do.”
The Bruins will take any contribution Seguin can make. If he’s unable to finish offensively, then he might have to find a way to make his presence felt physically or with a big defensive play on the back check.
Should the Bruins manage to survive without Bergeron for however long he’s out, and Seguin actually does the things he says he will, this cup of playoff hockey might be just what last June’s No. 2 overall draft pick need to further his development.
After all, at this time last year there were expectations he’d be an impact player, not a bit supporting actor. Seguin still holds those big-time dreams even after a rough rookie season.
“I know it’s tough to be here and I know how hard it is to stay in the lineup, especially being a young kid like I am,” said the 19-year-old Seguin, who put up 11-11-22 totals in 74 games. “But I’ve been working hard just this year. It’s such a big learning curve, I know it’s going to help me in the playoffs and definitely for years to come in my career.”
[...] watching the playoffs for a couple weeks, Seguin’s eager to be a part of them. His coach is eager to see the 19-year-old turn his words about being ready into actions that prove [...]
Sending Seguin back to Juniors this season would have been a waste. All of the bad habits that Bruin fans pick apart in his game got picked up by being faster and better than everyone in juniors. So if he was in the OHL this year, we would have delayed this learning season until 2011-2012. Yes the AHL would have been better, but there was no choice since it wasn’t an option. So given the option of having a sub-par 18 year old season in the NHL and spinning his wheels in Plymouth, he (and the Bruins) were better off in the NHL.
Injury to one player becomes opportunity for another. Go Tyler Go!!!
He might be too young to play in the AHL even next year, maybe I can find out or somebody around here knows.
RD, because of a rule Seguin was too young to play in NHL. It was either juniors or NHL, trust me almost every Bruins fan would agree with you that Seguin would have been way better off playing in the AHL for a year. I don’t know what the actual wording of the rule is, but I’m sure it’s to keep talented players who are young in Juniors rather than let them play in the AHL. Unfortunately it would seem Seguin did well enough through the first 9 games to have the team think he could play with the pros.
Why does Boston keep a kid right out of junior in the lineup all season? Wouldn’t he have been better off getting minutes in the AHL? It’s not like the kid is making a huge contribution at this point and it’s a bit embarassing having articles where the 19 year old kid has to declare he’s going to hit someone. He’s an undersized kid who will have a great career in a couple years. He should have spent the year in the AHL and gotten 1st line minutes to improve his skills.
I think it is unfair to declare him a bust.
Skinner has had the benefit of playing with Staal and on a top line.
Seguin has been relegated to third line duties at times 4th line duties or the press box.
Skinner was also not on a play off team (sure they were on the bubble but that isn’t the same as playing on a team at the top and play off bound almost from the beginning of the season).
I do think Seguin has struggled and a huge part of me thinks another year in juniors would have been better for him (although honestly the AHL would have been best except for the silly rule about having to play juniors and not being AHL eligible). I know Julien has said another year wouldn’t have done him any good, but I mostly think that is just covering up for the fact that they should have sent him back down in October.
Oh well, the kid gets his chance to play and hopefully he will score and play well. I know he and Ryder have played well together and Peverly has impressed-my fingers are crossed that this line will do some scoring damage-because the team is going to need points from more than two lines.
I’m glad Seguin is getting a shot to play in the playoffs even if it is one game. MattK, I don’t want to speak for you but I feel like there has been an effort to maybe bring fans down to earth on Seguin this year. Is it possible that we can see his flaws and still want him out there? I am not blinded by his No.2 pick status to the point where I can’t see that he needs improvement to a bunch of areas to be a success. I just feel like I should root for a kid who was literally compared to Sakic and Yzerman by scouts at 18yrs old. Surely we can see where he is weak but still get excited to see him play because if he does grow into what was predicted, this team is going to be contending for a conference final pretty regularly adding an improved Seguin to the core players that are already signed long term.
Having Caron in relief is a big plus in my eyes. Competition amongst the team is good coaching.
Amen, mg. Amen.
I’m sure there were plenty who wanted to run him out of the rink in major junior… but that doesn’t mean there was anybody who could. In the NHL, there definitely is.
What concerns me most of all is this quote:
“Obviously I don’t want to change my game”.
Why is that obvious? As others have pointed out in defense of his play, Seguin is only 19. He’s obviously talented, and accomplished at every level he’s played at up until now. That doesn’t necessarily mean he doesn’t have to change his game to be successful in the NHL. I’m sure what he means is that he wants to be able to have the same style, and the same level of success in the NHL that he did in major junior. There’s no guarantee that is possible, though. The gap between his skill level and the average opponent’s is just not what it was in juniors, to say nothing of the concentration of size and speed in the NHL.
I’d like to hear a lot more of “I’ll do whatever it takes to contribute” than “obviously I don’t want to change my game”.
19 and 10 months younger than Taylor Hall.
Remember his first goal….Ryder …up in the air…Seguin to the net….puck and Seguin in the net !!!!!
It was a thing of beauty I tell ya,it can happen again.
GO BRUINS GO!!! ALL OF EM.
He better keep his head up.
I saw Seguin being interviewed on TSN. Man he has bulked up a bit and he sure sounds confident. If Brad Marchand can do it so can Seguin. Show ‘em how its done kid!!
That’s the truth t-o-nifty. Seguin is no stranger to big games and I’m sure he’s been the guy to beat his entire amature career. He always says the right thing which speaks to his maturity. I’m hoping his actions back up his words. A contributing Seguin, as well as a healthyPatrice, would be awesome.
The routine questioning of Seguin’s heart, toughness, skillset, ability, etc. is apparently this week’s bandwagon item. Kid has played one season in which he was given limited minutes, played with linemates that have little offensive ability and oh yeah, he is 19. I think, as readers of this blog, are all smart enough in the realm of hockey to realize that this is not enough to fully evaluate the kid. Those who have decided he is a bust are insane. Way too early. Can he be more physical? Yes, in the sense that he uses his body on the wall. Can he be more aggressive? Yes, but only if he is allowed to play with the abandon necessary to do so. He makes one mistake and Claude benches him. That is how it went all year. However, guys like Ryder and Wheeler drift and float all season and continued to see regular minutes. Let the kid play. He is going to make mistakes. Back off him a little, let him relax and do what he does best, and that is score.
He is not a key factor in this series. It is just interesting that he is playing all of a sudden. Bruins PK and Thomas will win this series. I hope Seguin contributes in a meaningful way, on and off the scoresheet. I still say 2 goals and 5 points in this series if given at least semi-regular time. He probably won’t play in the third period of any game.
Most people questioning Seguins courage or competetiveness have never played hockey let alone rep. or major junior. You can’t be a coward and play major junior. Sorry. You don’t think teams have tried to run him out of a rink before. Thats been happening since he was 8.
Yes, he’s 19. I fixed it people. Geesh, one mistake. Thanks for pointing it out.
MK
So you think Claud’s system would make skinner shine?
here’s to new beginnings, but i still think the kid is an early bust. just think if we had skinner?
No matter what you think of the kid’s game at this early stage in his career – I’m always impressed with how he handles himself off the ice. Level head and a mature outlook. I’m excited to see him play again.
Yes Seguin is 19 years old.
great article, but isn’t seguin 19?
Can we get that ball from spacejam and transfer Bergy’s skill to Seguin?