Bruins notebook: With Nick Foligno out, Taylor Hall returns to top power-play

When Taylor Hall took over the net-front position on the first power play unit for the injured Nick Foligno on Monday, he did exactly what his job called for him to do. He parked himself at the top of the crease and essentially let Brad Marchand hit his stick blade with a pass for a power-play goal.

But Hall, who has had success playing on his strong side elbow, does tend to roam a little bit more from the net than others who’ve played that position. That can tend to give the first power play a more fluid look than when Foligno or Charlie Coyle is manning the top of the crease.

And coach Bruce Cassidy is OK with that, to a certain extent. With Foligno out for at least this three-game road trip, starting with Wednesday’s tilt against the high-flying Colorado Avalanche, Hall was going to be seeing some more time with the top unit with Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy.

“They’ve played with him before. It runs through Marchie and Pasta on the elbows, so they know, they’ll talk. And that’s fine. You want them to play to their strengths but still stay within your structure,” said Cassidy, on Wednesday afternoon after the B’s pregame skate.

That structure was going to be even more of a key against a penalty kill like Colorado’s.

“I think you’re going to see a very aggressive kill, so net front is going to be very important,” said Cassidy. “If we do break it down, the puck’s got to get there. I think that’s where they will be susceptible if we are able to break their pressure, so we need someone around the front of the net. That will be the message to Taylor and Bergy, to play high originally in the bumper to relieve pressure up top and then get around the front of the net.”

Cassidy said Coyle, another centerman, could get some time there as well if Bergeron is having one of those nights when he’s getting kicked out the faceoff circle often.

B’s could use more production from blue line

Not that the Avs lack firepower in their forwards corps, but they are especially potent from the back end. Just the trio of high-scoring D-men of Cale Makar, Devon Toews and Samuel Girard alone had combined for 90 points going into Wednesday’s game against the B’s.

The whole six-pack of Boston defensemen playing on Wednesday had a total of 53 points.

The B’s group is focused a little differently, said Cassidy, but the coach does see room for improvement.

“Some of (the reason for low numbers) lends itself to how we play. We’re not a high-risk team, a trade-chance team. Our D are asked to play defense first and they do a real good job of buying into that. But first pass doesn’t matter what team you’re on. When you’re coming out of your end, you want good execution. It’s going to lead to better offense,” said Cassidy. “Offensive blue line would be the place we could improve. I think finding shooting lanes, there’ a skill involved there, holding the puck for an extra half second to create the lane, or getting rid of it a half second sooner while there is a lane. I think that’s where we’ve struggled at times. And some of it is skill set. Some guys have it. Obviously, you watch Makar and the way he can move across the blue line, open up his hips, make a play, be pass-ready and shot-read, he’s exceptional, but they have a few guys like that. We’re still working on some of our guys in that area. And where’s your slot presence for tips? That’ll make your offense from your blue line, if they’re in position to tip pucks higher out and pucks aren’t getting fronted and blocked by the D, so it goes hand in hand with the forwards as well. But that’s an area for sure we can get better. We’ve worked at it, had some success at times. (Derek) Forbort early in the year was doing a good job from there. We’re working on it with (Urho Vaakanainen). (Matt Grzelcyk) and Charlie (McAvoy) are pretty good with that, (Brandon Carlo) shoots the puck hard. He just needs more confidence when he’s up there with it.”

Carlo will never be confused with Makar, whose game with the puck has a video game quality to it, but the mostly stay-at-home defenseman believes he can pitch in a little more offensively. He’s got three goals and thee assists in 37 games going into Wednesday.

“It’s not an easy thing to get points in this league, especially when you don’t get close to the net too often,” said Carlo, who was stoned on an excellent chance right after a penalty kill on Monday. “I feel like I’ve had a few opportunities this year, whether it’s shooting from the point, or creating rebounds and then joining the rush a little bit. Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don’t. It ebbs and flows. I want to continue to push,. I take a lot of pride in my defensive game and I’d say I’m more of a defensive guy, obviously, but I think there are nights when I have to take a lot of pride in that and doing my job on the penalty kill. But outside of that, everyone’s looking for areas you can grow. You never want to be content in the player you are. You want to continue to take strides forwards.”

This and that

Grzelcyk traveled with the B’s, but was not quite ready to return to the lineup on Wednesday after taking a high hit from Winnipeg’s Pierre-Luc Dubois on Saturday. The hope is he’ll be able to return on Friday in Arizona. Anton Blidh, who had been out since taking a big hit from Tom Wilson last Thursday, did return to the lineup. …

Carlo was happy to be back in the part of the country he was raised, having grown up in Colorado Springs.

“It’s very special,” said Carlo, who has an offseason home in Denver. “We only get to come here once a year during the regular season, so each time it holds value for my family and friends to be able to come and support me here in my hometown. I’m from an hour south, but everybody makes the trek up. It’s great to see all the friends and family in the stands. I’ll be lining up for a draw, look in the stands for a second and recognize someone I haven’t seen in a couple of years. So it is pretty funny and I enjoy it a lot.”