There’s rarely one specific moment in which a player finds his game. It’s a process, with plenty of behind-the-scenes work that goes into the game-ready product.
That’s true for Brandon Carlo, but he also has one of those single, specific moments.
“Since he scored that goal,” says Bruins Coach Bruce Cassidy, “he’s a guy who can have secondary offense and that’s great for us. … Maybe there was a bigger monkey on his back than we realized, because he sure looks like he’s a lot more free out there.”
That goal, of course, was Dec. 14 in Pittsburgh – his first in 116 games. It was a Bruins loss, but it sparked something in Carlo that’s been waiting to emerge.
Not that the Bruins expect offense out of Carlo.
Instead, it’s the confidence in his game they’re seeking. He recently turned 22 and has had to rebound from injuries a few times already in his young career, and that’s forced him to hit the reset button. In a way, it hasn’t been the worst thing for him.
“It was a good transition period for me to get back in and helpful for me to watch the games from (the press box) and see the space we have on the ice,” he said. “Recognizing that, it helped a little bit, but overall it was a good transition. You never know how it’s going to go, but I wanted to come back with the same confidence I was playing with from before.”
With his most recent injury, Carlo missed games from Nov. 10 through Dec. 1, a stretch in which several other Bruins also hit the shelf.
As the team’s health has improved, it has continued to find an identity as one of the stronger defensive teams in the league. Playing alongside Torey Krug, however, has changed Carlo’s already-confident game into something the team hadn’t expected.
“When it’s Torey and you have that line out there with (Brad Marchand) and (David Pastrnak) and especially when (Patrice Bergeron) is there as well, you want to get the pucks to them and generate and not just throw pucks down the wall,” Carlo said. “I’ve been trying to hold on to it a little longer and make plays with those guys. That’s what they want me to do and it’s been encouraging to get results so far.”
For a player the Bruins want to be defense-first – there are already plenty of puck movers between Krug, Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk – his sudden ability to find lanes and get pucks on net is welcome.
“This year I’ve been trying to get up the ice a little more,” Carlo said. “It was a monkey off my back scoring that goal and a relief. I think when I’m not focused on it too much, a lot of other good things happen for me. I’ve had a lot of good opportunities to get pucks on the net, just trying to get my head up and see the ice a little better.”
Of course, Carlo’s main focus is getting back on defense and protecting someone such as Krug, whose job is to jump into the play on offense. With Zdeno Chara and Kevan Miller out with injuries (both could return Thursday against the New Jersey Devils), Carlo’s job has been to be the steady player on the back line.
Carlo knows when push comes to shove, the Bruins are relying on him to be their last line of defense.
“Remaining within the boundaries of being smart, picking and choosing the times to join in the rush and when not to,” he said. “I feel like I’m still doing well defending. I’m working hard in the defensive zone and working on the inside out. From there, we’re getting more of a four-man rush going. It puts me in a good position when I’m right behind the rush, my gap control is better that way.”
With how the Bruins use Carlo, it’s easy to forget he’s one of their youngest players. Since he’s been healthy, he’s been arguably their most important defensive cog while they await Chara’s return.
There’s light at the end of the tunnel, but in the meantime, Carlo has been a saving grace in helping the defense perform so well.
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