What a story this year in the playoffs that young guns have written. The most impressive to me has been Boston Bruins right wing, Byron Bitz. Who says you need to play a certain amount of games to make a difference? With Bitz, it only took him one game to get used to playoff hockey in the NHL.
In the first round series versus the Montreal Canadiens, left winger Milan Lucic was suspended for one game, so in came Bitz as a replacement. With 13:02 of ice time, he recorded his first playoff point with an assist on line mate Shawn Thornton’s goal. He came out of that game as a +1 with two penalty minutes.
For the rest of that series, he was scratched as Lucic returned. When the second round series against the Carolina Hurricanes approached, he got another chance. Teammate Blake Wheeler hadn’t produced much during this post season run, so Coach Claude Julien decided to make him a healthy scratch meaning Bitz had better be ready.
Bitzy, as teammates call him, has played in games 4, 5 and 6. Although he hasn’t showed up on the scoreboard, he is doing all the little things right while also bringing his physical presence. In game six, the Bruins faced elimination yet again. They were already up 1-0 when Bitz placed himself in front of goalie Cam Ward to create a screen in front. Defenseman Steve Montador then took a shot and scored to put the Bruins up by two.
Being down in a series three games to one, the team needs to figure out what to change. The Bruins know they play their best hockey when they are physical, and Bitz fits right into that.
In the first round series versus the Montreal Canadiens, left winger Milan Lucic was suspended for one game, so in came Bitz as a replacement. With 13:02 of ice time, he recorded his first playoff point with an assist on line mate Shawn Thornton’s goal. He came out of that game as a +1 with two penalty minutes.
For the rest of that series, he was scratched as Lucic returned. When the second round series against the Carolina Hurricanes approached, he got another chance. Teammate Blake Wheeler hadn’t produced much during this post season run, so Coach Claude Julien decided to make him a healthy scratch meaning Bitz had better be ready.
Bitzy, as teammates call him, has played in games 4, 5 and 6. Although he hasn’t showed up on the scoreboard, he is doing all the little things right while also bringing his physical presence. In game six, the Bruins faced elimination yet again. They were already up 1-0 when Bitz placed himself in front of goalie Cam Ward to create a screen in front. Defenseman Steve Montador then took a shot and scored to put the Bruins up by two.
Being down in a series three games to one, the team needs to figure out what to change. The Bruins know they play their best hockey when they are physical, and Bitz fits right into that.
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