Bruins Notebook: Bruce Cassidy needs more speed from Jake DeBrusk

The fact that Jake DeBrusk can skate like the wind is inarguable. Bruins’ coach Bruce Cassidy, however, would like to feel the breeze a little more often.

Cassidy designated DeBrusk to be a healthy scratch for the B’s tilt against the Vancouver Canucks, the first time this year the left wing has been bounced upstairs for a game.

Coming into this year after DeBrusk’s rough COVID-marred season, the winger was tasked with becoming a more responsible player. For the most part, he has been. But there have been notable exceptions.

He had a big hand in two goals allowed in the B’s 5-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. There was also the game-winning goal in the 5-2 loss to the Rangers on Friday. While DeBrusk was a little late on the forecheck to thwart the Blueshirts’ breakout, Cassidy mentioned on Saturday that if he used his jets back through the neutral zone he could have done more to disrupt the Rangers’ rush.

There’s also a matter of production. The one-time 27-goal scorer has 3-3-6 totals in those 17 games. His last goal was an empty-netter in New Jersey on Nov. 13 when he was rewarded with late-game ice time after a strong all-around performance. The last time he shot it past a goalie was Oct. 24, when he scored what turned out to be the game-winner against San Jose.

“I think what happens with Jake and what we’ve seen over the last few years, when the production is there, you’re getting more second effort,” said Cassidy on Sunday morning. “They kind of go hand in hand. When it’s not there, we lose a little bit of that. And that’s been the ask of him for a number of years now — no drop-off on this side of the ledger just because the production isn’t there. Any 20-goal scorer still only scores once every four games, right? You still need the other things. So there’s a little bit more of an ask there on second effort away from the puck and working to keep it out of your net. We understand certain guys can be physical when they’re not scoring or bring something (else.) For him, it’s foot speed. We’d like to see that every night. I’d like to see him impact the game with his foot speed in some way, shape or form, whether it’s forecheck, attacking the net, penalty kill, whatever the case may be. That’s where we’re at, and we’re starting to see that drop-off again, so it’s a reminder of ‘Hey, bring us the effort and hopefully the production happens.’ But we need that.”

As expected, DeBrusk’s center, Erik Haula, was also scratched for Sunday’s game.

New line gets a tryout

Cassidy trotted out a new line combination with Trent Frederic, playing for the first time since being concussed in a Nov. 9 game against Ottawa, centering Nick Foligno on the left and Karson Kuhlman on the right.

For the first time out, the unit didn’t look too bad. Frederic went 1-for-7 in the faceoff circle in the B’s 3-2 win, but he had three shots on net, three hits and the line as whole had 11 shots on net.

“(Frederic) had some good opportunities between the rings, I liked that. He was around the puck. He was skating better in the middle with a little more freedom to move around,” said Cassidy, who expected Frederic to have some initial trouble in faceoffs in his return to the pivot.

It was Foligno’s first time this year playing on his natural side, though that didn’t figure much into Cassidy’s thinking.

“I don’t think (moving to the left) will matter to his game,” said Cassidy. “With Freddy again, Nick gets another new center, which he’s seen a few this year. We talked about that when he walked through the door in training camp. He just needs to go and play his game. I think he’s doing a lot more of that. I think the net-front power play has helped get him some touches. And hopefully he and Freddy, some bigger bodies, will add a different element on that third line than, say, Haula and DeBrusk. They’re different type of players. Maybe we’ll see a little more of a straight line, physicality, forecheck type of line, heaviness. We’ll see.”

With a left-shot center in Frederic, said Cassidy, Foligno moving to his left doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll get more looks, though he doesn’t expect it to be a rush-type of line. Foligno is still looking for his first goal as a Bruin.

“In general, I’d like to see them play more of a cycle game,” said Cassidy. “That’s their strength. Kuhlie does have some pace off the rush, but at the end of the day, that’s more of what we’re looking for from that line, a little more puck possession. Maybe the D gets involved a little bit. But we’ll see (Foligno) on his natural side. We haven’t seen him over there.”

Foligno, who drew a penalty to set up the first third period power play and assisted on Marchand’s equalizer, is not overly concerned about the fact he hasn’t scored yet.

“I actually like where my game’s trending right now. The first few games I was just getting my timing back (after returning form an upper body injury),” said Foligno. “Listen, I know there’s a goose egg in the goal column and I’m planning on rectifying that. I know I can. I think also, you can’t caught up in that stuff. I play the game a certain way and I think I bring value in other aspects. But one area that I’d want to help is offensively. So I think if I continue to trend the way I think I am, those looks are going to open up with opportunities for either myself or my teammates to score. That’s all I ask. I’m excited to work with those two guys. Obviously it’s going to be more of a simple approach, helping each other as we get to know each other. But we can be an effective line.”

This and that

The B’s are now paying for their light early season schedule. Their game against Vancouver was the first of a four-game week, as they host Detroit on Tuesday, do a quick trip to Nashville for a Thursday game, and then face the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning on Saturday. …

Connor Clifton was scratched for the seventh straight game.