🔴Bruins’ Hampus Lindholm looks like Hampus Lindholm again, which is a welcome turn🔴

🔴Bruins’ Hampus Lindholm looks like Hampus Lindholm again, which is a welcome turn🔴

Bruins hampus Lind Holm looks like hampus Lind Holm again which is a welcome turn Brighton Mass hampus Lind Holm had no goals and no assists against the Buffalo Sabers on Wednesday it followed a pattern in Lind Holmes 33 games this season the left shot defenseman has gone without a point 25

Times and has one goal and seven points overall last year Lind Holm went scoreless in 17 of his first 33 games before achieving a career best with 53 points viu 10 goals and 43 assists the difference with Lind Holmes performance in the Bruins 4 to1 win Wednesday was

That his production did not capture the presence with which he played in a team leading 2358 of ice time Lind Holm touched every part of the result it may have been his strongest game of 2023 to 24 coach Jim Montgomery will take that over points all day when he’s assertive

And direct offensively the better success he has offensively said Montgomery that just leads to him controlling the game with his gaps and his skating when he plays with Pace Lind Holm becomes his own weather system the defenseman has the straight line Speed and Agility to keep airtight gaps

Opponents are not designed to slow down the 6’4 224 lb defenseman when he becomes one with the rush when he closes on Puck carriers and combines his wingspan with his 63.2 in power stick there are few plays he cannot break up just the ideal 200t defenseman said Mason Loray he

Closes and ends play so well in the dzone then uses his skating and his power to get up ice and join the play you see his poise with the puck both on breakouts and on the offensive blue line just making plays left and right Loray also a left shot defenseman has had his

Eyes on Lind Holm for some time the 22-year-old is 6’5 and 2 111 lb Loray skates with purpose in the offensive zone which he showed on the Bruins first goal against the Savers as such some of Lor’s best learning moments have been watching Lind Holm do his thing on the number two

Pairing next to Brandon Carlo if Loray becomes comfortable folding in some of Lind holm’s defensive Zone habits the Bruins will have few left side worries for years to come for example as a bigger defenseman Lind Holm knows the value of maximizing his size against dangerous opponents instead of prioritizing frantic and sometimes

Misguided Pursuits in the dzone just showing me little tricks of Defending guys Loray said there’s a lot of guys that are quick and skilled racing out to them in the corners is sometimes you’ve got to think about it the truth of the matter is that Lind Holm has not touched

The game as frequently the season as he did in 2022 to 23 especially in the 13 games Charlie McAvoy missed while recovering from shoulder surgery the ease with which Lind Holm took command of games last season makes it even more puzzling why it’s been more of a fight

To do the same in 2023 to 24 the numbers speak for themselves he has 0 five on five goals he’s averaging 0.4 points per 60 Minutes of five on five play according to Natural stat trick only the Anaheim Ducks Jackson lcome is averaging less 0.24 among the 90 NHL defense emmen with

500 plus 5 on 5 minutes last season Lind Holm finished fourth in Norris Trophy voting it would take Cascade of voter errors for a similar result to take place this year points however are not necessarily the bottom line in evaluating Lind holm’s play as was clear against the Sabers the ey test matters

And it says he is not skating with as much conviction he turns 30 on January 20th 2024 the quality after all that separates Peak Lind Holm from his peers is the combination of his physical strengths with rapid movement at his size Lind Holm is Newton’s first lot on

Skates good luck doing anything to slow him down when he is in motion the trouble is how Lind Holm has been at rest more often than the Bruins would prefer he does not have makavo or Matt gitzel SES quick feed it takes him longer to get up to highway speed by

Then he can be in Chase mode this is not when he’s at his best the Bruins believe they could rely on makavo and Lind Holm to be difference making all situations defense him in this season that has not been the case it’s been one thing after another for macavoy suspension upper

Body injury a slam of the shoulder a wrench of the knee at this rate an anvil will fall out of a window onto mako’s head Lind Holm has had better luck the results have not aligned with his Good Fortune but Lind Holm knows what has to

Happen for his game to go green full time it starts with his skating everything else follows

Bruins’ Hampus Lindholm looks like Hampus Lindholm again, which is a welcome turn

BRIGHTON, Mass. — Hampus Lindholm had no goals and no assists against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday. It followed a pattern.

In Lindholm’s 33 games this season, the left-shot defenseman has gone without a point 25 times and has one goal and seven points overall. Last year, Lindholm went scoreless in 17 of his first 33 games before achieving a career best with 53 points via 10 goals and 43 assists.

The difference with Lindholm’s performance in the Bruins’ 4-1 win Wednesday was that his production did not capture the presence with which he played. In a team-leading 23:58 of ice time, Lindholm touched every part of the result. It may have been his strongest game of 2023-24. Coach Jim Montgomery will take that over points all day.

“When he’s assertive and direct offensively, the better success he has offensively,” said Montgomery. “That just leads to him controlling the game with his gaps and his skating.”

When he plays with pace, Lindholm becomes his own weather system. The defenseman has the straight-line speed and agility to keep airtight gaps. Opponents are not designed to slow down the 6-foot-4, 224-pound defenseman when he becomes one with the rush. When he closes on puck carriers and combines his wingspan with his 63.25-inch Bauer stick, there are few plays he cannot break up.

“Just the ideal 200-foot defenseman,” said Mason Lohrei. “He closes and ends plays so well in the D-zone. Then uses his skating and his power to get up ice and join the play. You see his poise with the puck, both on breakouts and on the offensive blue line, just making plays left and right.”

Lohrei, also a left-shot defenseman, has had his eyes on Lindholm for some time. The 22-year-old is 6-foot-5 and 211 pounds. Lohrei skates with purpose in the offensive zone, which he showed on the Bruins’ first goal against the Sabres.

As such, some of Lohrei’s best learning moments have been watching Lindholm do his thing on the No. 2 pairing next to Brandon Carlo. If Lohrei becomes comfortable folding in some of Lindholm’s defensive-zone habits, the Bruins will have few left-side worries for years to come. For example, as a bigger defenseman, Lindholm knows the value of maximizing his size against dangerous opponents instead of prioritizing frantic and sometimes misguided pursuits.

“In the D-zone, just showing me little tricks of defending guys,” Lohrei said. “There’s a lot of guys that are quick and skilled. Racing out to them in the corners is sometimes … you’ve got to think about it.”

The truth of the matter is that Lindholm has not touched the game as frequently this season as he did in 2022-23, especially in the 13 games Charlie McAvoy missed while recovering from shoulder surgery. The ease with which Lindholm took command of games last season makes it even more puzzling why it’s been more of a fight to do the same in 2023-24.

The numbers speak for themselves. He has zero five-on-five goals. He’s averaging 0.4 points per 60 minutes of five-on-five play, according to Natural Stat Trick. Only the Anaheim Ducks’ Jackson LaCombe is averaging less (0.24) among the 90 NHL defensemen with 500-plus five-on-five minutes.

Last season, Lindholm finished fourth in Norris Trophy voting. It would take a cascade of voter errors for a similar result to take place this year.

Points, however, are not necessarily the bottom line in evaluating Lindholm’s play, as was clear against the Sabres. The eye test matters, and it says he is not skating with as much conviction. He turns 30 on Jan. 20, 2024.

The quality, after all, that separates peak Lindholm from his peers is the combination of his physical strengths with rapid movement. At his size, Lindholm is Newton’s First Law on skates. Good luck doing anything to slow him down when he is in motion.

The trouble is how Lindholm has been at rest more often than the Bruins would prefer. He does not have McAvoy’s or Matt Grzelcyk’s quick feet. It takes him longer to get up to highway speed. By then, he can be in chase mode. This is not when he’s at his best.

The Bruins believed they could rely on McAvoy and Lindholm to be difference-making all-situations defensemen this season. That has not been the case.

It’s been one thing after another for McAvoy: suspension, upper-body injury, a slam of the shoulder, a wrench of the knee. At this rate, an anvil will fall out of a window onto McAvoy’s head.

Lindholm has had better luck. The results have not aligned with his good fortune.

But Lindholm knows what has to happen for his game to go green full-time. It starts with his skating. Everything else follows.