The smart analytics folks will tell you that blocked shots is one of the more overrated statistical categories going. And for the most part, they’re right. Like hits, blocks often indicate a player simply doesn’t have the puck enough.

But there comes a time in any given game when a well-timed dive in front of a blazing disc of hard rubber will win you two points. When Matt Beleskey laid out to stop a couple of Maple Leafs slappers late in the third period of the Bruins’ 3-1 victory Saturday in Toronto, it was just what the team needed – in more ways than one.

The blocks contributed to a victory the Bruins desperately needed to create a sliver of space between themselves and the Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers, both losers as the teams battle for playoff position. The blocks also represented a level of desire and hunger that seemed to be waning a bit during a five-game losing streak – and was absolutely non-existent in the first period at the Air Canada Centre.

Beleskey’s contributions on the night weren’t limited to the blocks. It was his dogged net-front presence that made Patrice Bergeron’s tying goal possible. And when it was time to put the hammer down on the Maple Leafs, it was Beleskey who did the honors, taking a great feed from Loui Eriksson and scoring his 14th goal of the season into an empty net.

If the Bruins want to secure a playoff spot and maybe do a little something after that, they will need the Bergerons, Brad Marchands, David Krejcis and Zdeno Charas to play to their potential. But they will also need contributions from their role players like Beleskey.

“Those two blocked shots were huge and they really ignited our bench,” Bruins Coach Claude Julien said. “And at the end of it, you’re really happy that he got that empty-netter because he deserved it for the sacrifice he made during those two plays and the commitment to doing what needed to be done to help us win this hockey game.”

Beleskey, who had been without a goal for 13 games and without a point of any kind in eight games, said he was just trying to make himself useful.

“I’ve always said that if you’re not scoring, which I haven’t been doing, you try to do everything you can do to win the game,” Beleskey said. “Any time you see someone laying out – (Krejci) had a big one on that shift, too – it does spark guys. It gets guys going, it shows that you’re committed, and that’s what we need right now.”

Beleskey’s effort did not go unnoticed by his teammates.

“He had two really big blocks there and that’s how he got rewarded at the end of it with the goal. That’s good to see,” said Krejci, who had five blocks of his own in the game. “Guys like that, they’ve been to the playoffs before and they know what it takes to get there.”

The Bruins returned to practice Monday in preparation for Tuesday’s road game against New Jersey. After that, the Bruins continue to play on the road with matchups at St. Louis and Chicago, before finishing the regular season with home games against Carolina, Detroit and Ottawa. A trip to the playoffs hangs in the balance.

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