Will Borgen has wasted little time settling in for the Bruins.
Boston’s July 1 trade pickup has already become a steadying piece on the blue line through 14 games, giving Marco Sturm exactly the kind of dependable right-side help the team was after when it sent a second-round pick and a conditional third-rounder to the Rangers. The move came just hours after the Bruins dealt Joonas Korpisalo to New York.
Borgen, 29, said when camp opened in September that there were “plenty” of differences in Sturm’s system and that the adjustment would be “a little bit” of a challenge. A few weeks later, he sounds comfortable in it.
“Good, yeah. I got [the system] down now,” Borgen said to BHN after an optional skate on Friday.
“It’s more reactionary thinking about it now. It just takes a little time to get used to any new system, just because you have something else ingrained in you from seasons before or whatever team you played with before.
But yeah, no, I got it down.”
The results have followed. In 14 games, Borgen has four points, with both goals coming on long-range empty-netters. He’s also been a regular source of minutes in the places Boston values most: tough defensive shifts and the penalty kill.
When Charlie McAvoy was suspended, Borgen stepped onto the top pair with Hampus Lindholm. After McAvoy returned, Borgen moved down the lineup and has spent seven of the last eight games with Nikita Zadorov, plus one alongside Jonathan Aspirot.
That Borgen-Zadorov duo has looked the part of a shut-down pair. In 104:14 together, they’ve controlled 46.04% of attempted shots, according to NaturalStatTrick.
Boston has outshot opponents 53-50 and outscored them 7-2 with the pair on the ice. Zadorov leads the Bruins with 44 hits and 21 blocked shots; Borgen is right behind with 39 hits and 16 blocks.
“Yeah, I think we play semi-similar styles,” Borgen said about playing with Zadorov. “I think we worry about the D side of things and trying to take care of stuff down there, and I thought we’ve done a pretty good job so far.
Last two games just didn’t go as well for anyone. But no, I think we play similar styles, and it’s worked so far.”
“We’re just trying to do our job, play defense well on their top guys. We both have the same mindset there to take care of our end so that it works.”
His role on the penalty kill has been just as important. Borgen has logged 30:05 of shorthanded ice time through Boston’s first 14 games, which ranks third on the team and second among defensemen. Most of that work has come with Zadorov, though Borgen has also taken turns with Hampus Lindholm and Mason Lohrei because Zadorov leads the team in penalty minutes.
There’s been another eye-catching number in Borgen’s start: a plus-14 rating, which ties him for fourth in the league. Only three Oilers are ahead of him, including Evan Bouchard at plus-19 and Connor McDavid at plus-17. Borgen isn’t putting much stock in it.
“No, plus is like a team stat. Our team’s had success out there for some of the goals, so yeah it’s a good thing,” Borgen said.
“I mean, [you] never want to get scored on. But no, I think plus-minus is more of a team stat [and I] just happen to be out there for some of them.”
What Boston wanted from him in July was reliability, especially on the right side. Through 14 games, Sturm says that’s exactly what he’s gotten from a player he didn’t know all that well when the trade happened.
“Yeah, he’s been great. I really like him so far.
I think he’s been really, really good. [When he] came in… I knew a little bit about him, but not too much,” Sturm said.
“But it was definitely a nice surprise. We wanted to upgrade our D corps, especially on the right side, and I think we definitely did that with Will in the lineup.”
In Other News...
Bruins Just Got A Goalie Performance They Couldnt Ignore
Bostons comeback win over Chicago had plenty of moving parts, but Michael DiPietros night was the kind that tends to linger with a coaching staff. The Bruins erased a 4-2 deficit late in the third period and finished off a 5-4 overtime victory on Elias Lindholms winner, yet the goaltending was a major reason they were even in position to steal it after a rough start.
DiPietro has been getting his chance in Boston since the Bruins moved Joonas Korpisalo to the New York Rangers, and he made the most of this one with 37 saves. In a game that could have slipped away quickly, he gave Boston the steadiness it needed to hang around long enough for the rally to take hold, which is exactly the sort of performance that can complicate the conversation in net. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Have A Growing Nikita Zadorov Problem Again
Nikita Zadorovs discipline is back in the spotlight after another roughing incident, this time against Chicago defenseman Alex Vlasic on Oct. 31. The Bruins blueliner was involved in a second-period scrum and then punched Vlasic, drawing penalties and putting Boston in an uncomfortable spot with one of its most physical defensemen.
Marco Sturm has already addressed the issue, pointing to Zadorovs discipline and what the Bruins need from him going forward. For a team that leans on Zadorov for size, edge and toughness, the challenge is finding the line between playing hard and giving away momentum, especially when those lapses keep drawing attention. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins About To Face The Stretch That Will Define This Start
The Bruins have given themselves an early cushion with a strong start, and now comes the part of the schedule that can tell whether it means anything. A tight overtime win over Chicago kept the momentum going, but the next stretch is a different kind of test, with Vegas, Pittsburgh and Florida all waiting in line as Boston tries to hold onto its place atop the Atlantic.
What makes this run so important is the way the Bruins want to win it, not just the results. The emphasis has been on offensive balance, defensive consistency and dependable goaltending, and those are the ingredients that tend to get exposed when the schedule stiffens. If Boston can keep those areas steady through this stretch, it will say plenty about how real this fast start is. [Read more 🡒]