Opening statement
At the conclusion of his fourth season in the Western Hockey League, Ryan Button whet his blades for the professional ranks by signing with the P-Bruins and seeing action for each of the last seven games in 2010-11.
And unlike fellow late-season call-ups Jared Knight and Ryan Spooner, Button is old enough to bolt the Canadian major junior ranks and start fostering directly in the Black and Gold system.
2010-11 Highlights (With three teams)
· Scored a power-play goal and two assists in Prince Albert’s 9-3 win at Lethbridge Nov. 19
· Assisted on the game-winner and was on the ice for four goals in Prince Albert’s 5-1 win over the Everett Silvertips Dec. 11.
· Etched an assist in three of his final four games with Prince Albert before being traded to the Seattle Thunderbirds in January.
· Posted a cumulative plus-5 rating over three games in four nights (Feb. 23-26) for the Thunderbirds.
· Scored his first professional point with an assist in the P-Bruins 3-2 road win over Springfield April 9.
2010-11 Lowlights
· Had a minus-3 rating in five separate Western League games, three for Prince Albert and two for Seattle.
· Finished with a minus-4 over 44 games with Prince Albert and again over 25 games with Seattle. (Although, in fairness, the majority of the Thunderbirds and Raiders finished with comparatively egregious ratings.)
· Held without a shot on goal for three consecutive AHL games after landing one SOG in each of his first three appearances with Providence.
2011-12 Outlook
Seeing as the parent Boston Bruins classify him as “in the system,” Button has some time to take before he thinks about so much as a matinee latte at the TD Garden. And apart from three established returnees plus an off-and-on AHLer in Alain Goulet, Providence has some depth to build up on defense.
Accordingly, head coach Bruce Cassidy should ask Button to step up right off the draw and waste no time building upon the trial tastes he got at the end of last season.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
P-Bruins Player Puckbag: Andrew Bodnarchuk
Opening statement
Andrew Bodnarchuk appears primed to join Zach Hamill as the P-Bruins’ only returning holdovers from newly-elevated head coach Bruce Cassidy’s first day as Rob Murray’s assistant in 2008-09.
As such, Bodnarchuk will add on to that unique group of 22 players who have seen substantial action with the P-Bruins in four consecutive regular seasons. And if he has enough iron, he should easily surpass Zdenek Kutlak as the franchise’s all-time games-played leader among defensemen.
2010-11 Highlights
· Career-best 15 assists and 16 points on the year.
· Assisted on two of team’s four goals in a Feb. 25 road win over Abbotsford.
· Was on the ice for four of the team’s six goals, including each of the first three, in a 6-2 home win over Bridgeport Nov. 5.
2010-11 Lowlights
· Plus/minus reached a season-worst minus-20 during a 7-0 road loss to Portland Feb. 16.
· Went through his first 73 games of the season without scoring a goal.
· Was on the ice for five opposing goals, including a shorthanded strike, in an 8-2 loss at Springfield Feb. 12.
2011-12 Outlook
Only one defenseman in Cassidy’s dressing room has ever entered the same room and pulled on the Spoked-P for a Calder Cup playoff game.
The fact that Bodnarchuk has the distinction of living through all of the lows of the last two years as well as the highs of a run to the 2009 Eastern Conference finals just might have factored into his recent one-year contract extension.
He should use that familiarity wisely and step it up in the coming year. With his repertoire and this lineup, Bodnarchuk personifies the P-Bruins’ state of having a lot to lose as they try to get back above the AHL’s playoff poverty line.
Andrew Bodnarchuk appears primed to join Zach Hamill as the P-Bruins’ only returning holdovers from newly-elevated head coach Bruce Cassidy’s first day as Rob Murray’s assistant in 2008-09.
As such, Bodnarchuk will add on to that unique group of 22 players who have seen substantial action with the P-Bruins in four consecutive regular seasons. And if he has enough iron, he should easily surpass Zdenek Kutlak as the franchise’s all-time games-played leader among defensemen.
2010-11 Highlights
· Career-best 15 assists and 16 points on the year.
· Assisted on two of team’s four goals in a Feb. 25 road win over Abbotsford.
· Was on the ice for four of the team’s six goals, including each of the first three, in a 6-2 home win over Bridgeport Nov. 5.
2010-11 Lowlights
· Plus/minus reached a season-worst minus-20 during a 7-0 road loss to Portland Feb. 16.
· Went through his first 73 games of the season without scoring a goal.
· Was on the ice for five opposing goals, including a shorthanded strike, in an 8-2 loss at Springfield Feb. 12.
2011-12 Outlook
Only one defenseman in Cassidy’s dressing room has ever entered the same room and pulled on the Spoked-P for a Calder Cup playoff game.
The fact that Bodnarchuk has the distinction of living through all of the lows of the last two years as well as the highs of a run to the 2009 Eastern Conference finals just might have factored into his recent one-year contract extension.
He should use that familiarity wisely and step it up in the coming year. With his repertoire and this lineup, Bodnarchuk personifies the P-Bruins’ state of having a lot to lose as they try to get back above the AHL’s playoff poverty line.
Monday, September 19, 2011
P-Bruins Player Puckbag: Matt Bartkowski
Opening statement
If Boston’s training camp takes shape according to the consensus forecast, then Matt Bartkowski will be on the opening night roster for Providence rather than sitting among healthy scratches at the NHL Premiere in Europe.
In turn, he figures to join Andrew Bodnarchuk and Nathan McIver to form the returning corps from last year’s P-Bruins blue line brigade. Of the returning defensemen, those are the only three who donned the Spoked-P at least 50 times, let alone 60 or more, in 2010-11.
2010-11 Highlights
· Led all P-Bruins defensemen with 18 assists and 23 points on the year.
· Earned the opportunity to play six games for the parent club.
· Scored two assists and posted a plus-3 rating at Portland Nov. 6.
· Had a four-game point-scoring streak (two goals, three assists) between Nov. 6 and Nov. 13.
· Scored two assists in a Feb. 20 home bout with Worcester and against on Feb. 26 at Abbotsford.
· Had two stints in Boston, seeing action in a total of six games.
2010-11 Lowlights
· Placed dead-last on the team with a minus-17 rating.
· Was on the ice for all three opposing goals in a 3-1 home loss to Connecticut Dec. 3.
· Posted a negative rating in each of seven consecutive games-played and nine in a span of 11 games during the month of February.
2011-12 Outlook
With six established veterans plus Steven Kampfer already on Boston’s blue line, Bartkowski ought to spend the majority of his second professional season in Providence.
So long as he is around, he could stand to refine his day job, as evidenced by his mix of playmaking proficiency and vinegary defensive stats. There is no reason why a player as touted as Bartkowski should be pitching in 23 points while still letting enough opponents slip by his post to finish with a minus-17 rating.
If Boston’s training camp takes shape according to the consensus forecast, then Matt Bartkowski will be on the opening night roster for Providence rather than sitting among healthy scratches at the NHL Premiere in Europe.
In turn, he figures to join Andrew Bodnarchuk and Nathan McIver to form the returning corps from last year’s P-Bruins blue line brigade. Of the returning defensemen, those are the only three who donned the Spoked-P at least 50 times, let alone 60 or more, in 2010-11.
2010-11 Highlights
· Led all P-Bruins defensemen with 18 assists and 23 points on the year.
· Earned the opportunity to play six games for the parent club.
· Scored two assists and posted a plus-3 rating at Portland Nov. 6.
· Had a four-game point-scoring streak (two goals, three assists) between Nov. 6 and Nov. 13.
· Scored two assists in a Feb. 20 home bout with Worcester and against on Feb. 26 at Abbotsford.
· Had two stints in Boston, seeing action in a total of six games.
2010-11 Lowlights
· Placed dead-last on the team with a minus-17 rating.
· Was on the ice for all three opposing goals in a 3-1 home loss to Connecticut Dec. 3.
· Posted a negative rating in each of seven consecutive games-played and nine in a span of 11 games during the month of February.
2011-12 Outlook
With six established veterans plus Steven Kampfer already on Boston’s blue line, Bartkowski ought to spend the majority of his second professional season in Providence.
So long as he is around, he could stand to refine his day job, as evidenced by his mix of playmaking proficiency and vinegary defensive stats. There is no reason why a player as touted as Bartkowski should be pitching in 23 points while still letting enough opponents slip by his post to finish with a minus-17 rating.
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