Justin Brazeau becoming fixture in Bruins lineup
Over the last few weeks, Justin Brazeau has become a mainstay in the Bruins lineup. The 26-year-old has made an impact whenever he is on the ice and sparked the Bruins bottom six. While his sample size is small, Brazeau is taking advantage of his opportunities.
Through 17 games, the undrafted winger has scored five goals and dished out two assists. He also got some time on the man advantage and scored two power-play goals. While the Bruins have struggled lately, Brazeau has been one of the few bright spots as his playing time has increased.
Additionally, he has been aggressive with the puck, recording a 16.7 shooting percentage. That has helped create scoring opportunities and made the Bruins bottom six more of a threat. As the playoffs inch closer, Brazeau’s impact has not gone unnoticed by Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery.
“In training camp, I remember saying that he’s like a poor man’s Dave Andreychuk,” Montgomery said of Brazeau on March 20th. “He seems to get to every puck below the goal line. He makes subtle, little smart plays. And you saw his ability. He has a nice touch.”
After months of trying to find a fourth-line combination that works, the Bruins have finally found the missing piece in Brazeau. Since being called up, he has spent most of his ice time with Jesper Boqvist and Jakub Lauko. That trio has outshot their opponents and created more scoring chances, which has been a welcome sign for the Bruins.
With only eight games left before the playoffs, the Bruins postseason roster is coming into focus. Due to his recent play, it is hard to imagine that Brazeau would not be on it. Since Brazeau made his NHL debut, the Bruins have posted a 10-4-3 record with him in the lineup.
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