Derek Forbort was a scratch for the Boston Bruins for Monday’s 4-3 shootout loss against the Kraken in Seattle, but it wasn’t because of performance or injury.
According to Coach Jim Montgomery, the veteran defenseman missed a meeting. It is the second time that this has happened with the Bruins this year. Forward Jake DeBrusk was scratched for the Oct. 21 game in Los Angeles for the same infraction.
“That’s just our standard here with the Bruins, just like with JD earlier,” Montgomery told reporters in Seattle.
It has not been a great year for Forbort, who’ll turn 32 on March 4. While he’s been a solid shutdown, third-pair defenseman for the Bruins for most of the first two years of his three-year contract, he has battled a groin injury this year. Eventually, the team shut him down and put him in long-term injured reserved and he was out from Dec. 3 to Jan. 20.
While plus-8 on the season, he’s a minus-6 in his last five games. The Bruins’ penalty kill, one of the team’s strengths over the years and a big part of Forbort’s portfolio, has fallen to 10th in the NHL. And while he’s certainly not solely responsible, the absence of his usual shutdown capabilities has been a contributing factor to the Bruins inability to close out games this season.
THE BRUINS’ fourth line has been one of the team’s best units recently. And so Montgomery chose to reward one of its members with a high-profile assignment. Speedster Anthony Richard, who at the age of 27 is getting his best chance to make an impact at the NHL level, was bumped up to play in the top six on a line with Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle against Seattle.
Montgomery was looking for more jump and the ability to create more turnovers with the move.
“We’ve tried a lot of players there and we know a couple of players that work,” said Montgomery. “All three players that were on that fourth line with (Jesper) Boqvist and (Justin) Brazeau have all been playing really well and that’s why we sprinkled them around, to give them more energy to every line.”
DeBrusk, who skated on that line in the last game, was moved back to the line with David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha and James van Riemsdyk took Richard’s spot on the fourth line.
TICKET PRICES: The good news for Bruins’ fans is that the salary cap will be going up next season. The bad news? Some of the cost will be passed on to them.
The Bruins announced a “blended price increase” of 9.5% for next season for season-ticket renewals. The prices for loge seats are between $142 and $215 while balcony seats will run between $68 and $152.
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