Jake DeBrusk: The Bruins Bright Young Rookie
And just like that, the Boston Bruins are third in the Atlantic Division with a 14-9-4 record and 32 points.
Granted, they’re nine points behind the second-place Toronto Maple Leafs but have also played four fewer games than the Leafs.
Tuukka Rask looks to be getting back to his old self and even though I’m not 100 percent convinced, I have been pleasantly surprised with him. He seems to be responding well to being benched.
Maybe he needed a mental break or maybe him being benched lit a fire under his ass – but, for once, I’m not here to talk about the goalie in between the pipes for the B’s.
This team has seemed to be clicking over their past few games – everything from their goalie, to their defense, to their offense and especially their young talent – particularly Jake DeBrusk.
If you follow me on Twitter (@lalalalaurrrren), then you already know how big I am on this guy. The entire youth group for this team is something special – and they’re fun as hell to watch.
But I am 100 percent drawn to DeBrusk and have been since the Bruins drafted him 14 overall and passed on Mathew Barzal. This entire season, he has been a force on the ice between scoring goals, racing to the puck and having good ice presence.
The 21-year-old has been a bright spot for the team this season. Even when Boston was performing poorly, there usually was something positive to say about DeBrusk.
On Saturday, during the 3-1 win over the New York Islanders, DeBrusk had himself quite the game – from scoring, to fighting – he seemed to do it all that night.
He made a gutsy move when he dropped the gloves with Casey Cizikas after he nailed Charlie McAvoy with a huge, legal hit. DeBrusk was slapped with 17 minutes worth of penalties after entering the game with zero penalty minutes.
The winger was close to earning himself a Gordie Howe hat trick on Saturday as well – but would settle for scoring his sixth goal of the season after spending 17 minutes off the ice because of his array of penalties.
Look, this kid is going to be a stud for years to come and is without a doubt someone the Bruins should hold on to. They have a fantastic young core that has so much potential – and DeBrusk is a huge part of that.
Even during the games that looked sloppy, DeBrusk was a bright spot. And in games where the Bruins looked solid, DeBrusk once again was a bright spot. Put your trust in him because this kid is not going to be a bust.
It’s clear he wants to be one the ice and it’s clear he wants to play here in Boston.
DeBrusk can score, make big plays, get assists, race to the puck and he’s not afraid to drop the gloves in defense on his teammate – what more could you want out of a hockey player?
Written by: Lauren Campbell (@lalalalaurrrren)