Fabian Lysell SILENCES CRITICS as Bruins Eye Strong Finish (But A Loss Would Be Great Too)

Fabian Lysell SILENCES CRITICS as Bruins Eye Strong Finish (But A Loss Would Be Great Too)

Fabian Lysel was written off far too soon by some Boston Bruins fans and he’s finally starting to prove them wrong. You’re Locked on Bruins, your daily podcast on the Boston Bruins, part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. What is up Bruins fans and welcome back to the Locked On Boston Bruins podcast. I’m your host Ian McLaren and this is a daily show where we discuss all things spoke B. Today is Monday, April 14th and I want to thank you so much for making Lockdown Bruins part of your daily routine. It’s part of the Locked On podcast network, your favorite team every day. And everydayers will know that each new episode will be automatically added to your podcast feeds and YouTube once you hit that subscribe button. So, please do that right now. You can also find the podcast on social media, locked in Bruins, and you can find me, my hockey thoughts, dad jokes at Ian C McLaren. On today’s program, we are going to discuss Sunday’s victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Some guys who are continuing to roll here as the season winds down and a rookie forward who finally broke through with his first NHL goal. One game remaining for the Boston Bruins this season. No playoffs, of course, so we are all in on the tank update as well. uh and hoping to maximize Boston’s draft pick potential here uh with them being outside of the top 16. Quick reminder for those who may be new to the podcast, I am a lifelong Boston Bruins fan. Been covering this team for various outlets for 20 years. Was a full-time hockey news writer for thescore.com for five years and have been hosting this podcast since 2019. And just a few years ago, the Bruins plucked Fabian Lysel from the first round. And it’s been of a slow process for the 22year-old as he is finally getting extended NHL action for the first time in his career. He was selected in the 2021 NHL entry draft. spent a season in uh Vancouver playing for the WHL’s Giants. Uh three seasons with AHL Providence, which has featured some ups and downs, some injuries, some offensive output that didn’t really blow us away as a first round pick. There was high hopes for him coming into this season with the Bruins going through this transition, keeping some spaces open in the lineup for some young guys to come in and grab them. He was unable to do so and finally was called up here late in the season and has been given plenty of opportunities here, maybe longer than he would have if the Bruins were in a playoff push uh to find his game and to see if he can become a contributing member at the NHL level. He’s had some ups and downs for Providence this season. 15 points in 13 games in December into January, then four points in his next 12 games. And if he’s not using his speed and his skill, he’s not necessarily bringing it in other areas to justify him being on the NHL roster. And so when he had zero points in his first eight games, again, a lot of people writing him off, throwing out the B- word, that he was a bust, and that he would never be able to put it together and have that offensive upside offset the defensive deficiencies or or play without the puck or an unwillingness to go into the uh dirty areas. But just last week, he finally registered his first point with an assist in a win over New Jersey. He’s had multiple opportunities to score his first career goal, setting up teammates uh for potential opportunities as well. and he had probably his best performance on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Penguins in which he was rewarded with his first NHL goal. Uh it was eventually the game winner as well. Uh it came on the power play to add to the level of uh success for this first goal. Bruins power play has been awful all season long. Uh he’s been pretty efficient on the power play since being put on the second unit and he found some open space in front of the net. Finished off a feed from Paval Zaka for his first career NHL goal. Interim head coach said Joe Sacko said good on him. He’s doing some good things with the puck at times offensively. He’s attacking. He’s attacking through the neutral zone. He’s attacking in the offensive zone. Uh so there are some things to like in his game. That is for sure. There was more offensive uh play beyond that goal. Uh he was all over the puck in the first period and set up both Zaka and Fraser Minton for some uh high quality scoring chances. Uh he used his speed to drive past the Pittsburgh defense down the wing before taking the puck and getting a shot on Tristan Jarry. Drew a penalty in the third period. Uh maybe not the best call on the Penguins, but still he’s getting out there and doing some things. uh via Scott Mclofflin of WEI who noted in 10 games since his recall on March 22nd, Lysel leads the Bruins in five on five shots per 60, ranks second in shot attempts per 60, and fourth in individual scoring chances per 60, which is pretty impressive considering how well David Post and Morgan Geeki have been playing lately for him to be up there generating the most shots on goal per second and shot attempts, uh, that’s pretty impressive for the youngster. Probably would have liked to have seen him get some more points, but for him to break through recently and to finish strong here uh, at the NHL level is huge. And obviously with only one game remaining to get that goal um is certainly going to be a boost of confidence for him to know that he can indeed score at the NHL level. And um he admitted after yesterday’s game, like anything, it takes time to get comfortable, learn the games, get to know the players you’re playing with. The same can be said of Elias Lindholm. We’ll touch on him later on. All that takes time. Lysel said it’s about building and trusting and then eventually sort of the timing and everything starting to make more sense. Now, does this mean that he is a lock for the roster next season? Not necessarily, because of who the Bruins may bring in um in free agency. to say they’ve signed a Mitch Mner for example, that would bump Lysel down the depth chart and perhaps he’s not suited for obviously not a fourthline role, but maybe third line winger with the right uh guys with him, but he’s going to go back to Providence for the Calder Cup playoffs, which is something he’s looking forward to because uh his last two seasons were cut short due to injury. and he said that he he hasn’t been really healthy for the AHL playoffs since he came in and he’s actually really excited for it. They have a very deep team down there and if they have everything clicking they can definitely go far. So he’s excited for that too for sure. So huge congrats to Fabian Lysel. I’ve always thought obviously there’s the potential there. He’s got the skill, he’s got the speed, just needs to um not shy away from physicality to get into those dirty areas to um create some scoring chances. And it does indeed take time to get acclimated to the NHL game, to get acclimated to your teammates. He’s got that extra pressure of being a first round pick and everybody looking at him saying, you know, you should come into the NHL and just be dynamic right from the get-go. It’s not necessarily everybody’s journey. Um, even a guy like Brad Marshon took some time for him to find his game uh and to become the guy that he is. Not comparing the two, but it does take time is is the is the takeaway here. and he still only has, you know, a dozen games under his belt. It takes way more than that for players to get acclimated to life at the NHL level. And I’m excited to see what he’s able to do in the AHL playoffs and how he can translate that into a strong training camp and hopefully seizing a full-time role with the Boston Bruins uh in 202526. So, congrats Lysel on the first career goal. We’re going to touch on a couple other guys who are scoring often and what it might mean for next season here as the podcast continues. Scaling your business requires the right expertise at the right time. With Upwork, you can find specialized freelancers in marketing, development, design, and more. experts ready to help you take your business to the next level. Upwork gives businesses flexibility by connecting them with top freelance talent across multiple industries, including IT, AI, web development, and marketing. Whether you need extra hands for a project or a long-term partner, Upwork makes hiring simple and affordable. Visit upwork.com right now and post your job for free. That’s upwor.com upwork.com to connect with top talent and grow your business today. Posting a job is free and simple and within a day multiple qualified candidates will be available to choose from. Thank you so much once again for making Lockdown Bruins part of your daily routine. Please do hit that subscribe button so that you never miss a thing. Every day will know that uh we are all about the tank at this point. Obviously, there’s only one game remaining on the regular season schedule. Uh we’ll preview that one tomorrow. Just seeing now though that the New Jersey Devils have recalled Mark Mclofflin for this one. Uh they’re looking to avenge that 72 loss at the hands of the Bruins last week, hoping that McMuffin will have one of those revenge games uh that we hear so much about. Now, yesterday the Bruins did beat the Penguins. wasn’t uh super beneficial tankwise, but this spring we’re just looking for signs of hope for next season, signs of life, signs of some budding that we can uh cling to in the hopes of a quick turnaround next season. And one of those remains the play of Morgan Geeki, who scored for the fifth straight game. He now has a 10game point streak. Both careerhighs for him. And he now has 32 goals on the season, albeit at an elevated shooting percentage of uh what’s his shooting percentage at? 21.6, which is like 7% higher than his career average, which is now at 14.5. Last season he had 17 goals in the same amount of games on a 13.1% success rate. He’s got 18 more shots than he did last season. He’s averaging uh let’s see here. He’s got 148 shots in 76 games. So just shy of two shots per game. If he’s going to keep this up, he’ll need to increase his shot rate next season because chances are that shooting percentage will drop down. Now, he is getting some elite playmaking from David Posterno to help set up this scoring. Uh, and he’s also, I should add, got 24 assists, which is a new career high as well. He had 22 last season. It all amounts to a interesting situation developing for the offseason as he is a restricted free agent. Uh neither side wants to go to arbitration. We all know the effects that arbitration had on Jeremy Swayman and his relationship with management. So hopefully they can avoid that and come to a nice uh agreement on a fair deal, maybe a bridge deal for the one year that will take him to UFA next season to see if he can indeed replicate this kind of success. You don’t want to commit big money long-term based on this seeming one-year outlier. you want to make sure that he can replicate this next season perhaps still on the top line with David Postno and Elias Lynhum who we’ll touch on here in a moment. Don’t forget he was often scratched early this season by then head coach Jim Montgomery. He found new life after coming back uh and especially after being put on a line with uh Posternok and Zaka at the time. Lindholm has taken over that spot. they continue to roll. Um, so chances are he could still have at least a 25 goal season in him next year. But again, you don’t want to look at this one season and say throw all the money at him and lock this guy up because he is a surefire 30 goal scorer for the rest of his career. That’s well, I’d like to see that happen at least one more time uh before we say that’s who he now is. But full credit to him, he has taken advantage of the opportunity to play with Posternok, as has Elias Lindhome, who is now up to 17 goals on the season after scoring in the game yesterday against the Penguins. Uh he’s now got uh 37 points in his last five games, which is pretty nice to see. and he’s now up to 46 points. Still a bit underwhelming, but he has played in every game so far this season. So, he’s proving some durability there. And after or since being bumped up to the top line with David, we’ve seen a real bump in his play as well. uh which is encouraging because obviously he is signed for quite some time now at an cap hit of 7.75 million. You look at that last five games for example or even the last little bit here he has shown signs that he can be that type of guy. Um and perhaps playing with PostnO will just continue to elevate uh his game. He deflected a pass from Post just outside the crease uh and scored. He said, “We we played some pretty good hockey today, pretty fast, had some good looks, and he’s certainly benefiting from playing alongside uh David Poshnock at the moment, who is uh last week I said I wanted to see him set a new career high in assists. Uh that was set last season with 63. He’s now at 62, 104 points. He’s just been on fire uh last five games. Two points, two points, three points, three points, five points. Like, he’s been insane as of late. And uh he’s only one assist shy of tying that career high from last year. Needs two to set that career high, which would be pretty remarkable considering um he’s been the key offensive driver for this team. gets all the defensive matchups and he’s still been producing at uh a crazy level uh for the Boston Bruins. And unfortunately, they are out of the playoff picture, but if they were in there, he certainly would be uh a candidate for uh heart trophy consideration because he is without question a most valuable player for our Boston Bruins. Um, the other goal was scored, I mentioned Lysel’s already, was scored by Jacob Lco, who got the empty neter to just put things away. Uh, good on him. That was his fifth goal of the season, I believe, his second since coming back to the Bruins and his second in the past three games, in fact. Uh, he also is a restrictive free agent at season’s end. I believe they brought him back for a purpose. The vibes, he’s best friends or very good friends with uh Jeremy Swayman. So hopefully they can keep him and just help to yeah build that culture in the locker room that he is certainly a big part of. Uh just to go back to Post 65, five on five points, which is tops in the NHL. He’s got uh the most primary assists in the NHL as well with 30. Uh just been unbelievable production for him. I can’t even imagine where his point totals would be if uh the Bruins power play had any level of success this season. And of course, it’s near the bottom of the league, but um D it hasn’t kept him from having one of his best seasons uh as a Bruin. I I would argue it could be his best considering uh the supporting cast in Boston this season. He’s the third Bruins player since 9495 with a multi-point streak of at least five games, joining Brad Marshon and Patrice Berseron. Uh he’s also the ninth Czechaborn player with multiple points in five straight games, the first since Milan Mahalik in 2007. Uh so the Bruins did get the win. One game remaining. Uh we’ll update the Tankathon standings and uh talk about a couple roster moves ahead of tomorrow’s game against the New Jersey Devils here as the podcast continues. Are you looking for a snack that is both delicious and nutritious? Well, crack into a good source of protein with Wonderful Pistachios. Wonderful Pistachios is one of the highest protein nuts. Each 1oz serving has six grams of protein, giving you over 10% of your daily value. Plus, they’re packed with fiber and better for you unsaturated fats to help you keep feeling fuller longer. Personally, I love the No Shells variety. It’s the perfect graband-go snack for busy days. Whether I’m snacking at my desk on a road trip, or just need a quick protein boost, they’re always my go-to. If you love cracking open every shell for that satisfying crunch, the InShell options are a classic favorite. Get snacking and get cracking with the snack that packs a protein bunch. Visit wonderfulpistachios.com to learn more. All right, the Boston Bruins have made a couple roster moves ahead of the season finale against the New Jersey Devils. Uh both Riley Durant and Michael Callahan have been sent back to Providence in favor of uh forward John Ferinaci and defenseman Frederick Brune. Uh just mixing things up here for the season finale. Callahan scored his first career goal last week. Uh Duran played pretty well in his couple appearances. They’re just mixing things up here. Uh, of course, Fonacci has appeared in 57 games with Providence this season. Nine goals, 28 assists for 37 points. Uh, 75 points in 128 career AHL games, all with Providence, third in assists this season on the team, and he was originally selected by the Coyotes in the third round of the 2019 NHL entry draft. Uh Bnee has appeared in 68 games with Providence this season, five goals, 19 assists, 6 foot3, 196B defenseman, uh 117 career AHL games under his belt, seven goals, 31 assists, and he currently leads active Providence Bluel Liners in scoring. Uh he was a fifthround pick in 2022. So, congrats to both of those guys for the recall and um likely making their Bruins debuts in the season finale tomorrow against the New Jersey Devils. Now, with the win on Sunday, the Bruins uh reduced their chances of the fourth overall pick. They’re still in that spot, but they’re now only one point behind both Seattle and Philadelphia. Thankfully, Philadelphia has uh two games remaining, so hopefully they’ll pick up a point or two. Um right now, the Bruins with one game remaining have a max amount of points of 77. That’s where Buffalo is at the moment, although the Sabres do have two games remaining. So, it’s really Seattle they have to worry about, maybe Philadelphia if they lose out. Uh, but the Bruins right now have a 9.5% chance of getting the top overall pick and are currently in the four spot uh when it comes to uh pick odds and hopefully will at least get themselves a uh top five pick here in the NHL. entry draft cuz that would really get them uh a pretty nice looking player in the draft this season. Um like one of those kind of centers that they’ve been long after that can hopefully become a player to build around for quite some time. Uh right now, just to update the pick odds, the Bruins have a 9.5% chance of first or second, 15.5% chance of fourth, a 44.6% chance of fifth, and a 20% chance of sixth. Um, and so moving back would only elevate their chances of getting seventh, eighth, maybe even falling back to yeah, sixth, seventh or eighth, which would be not great. Uh when it comes to the mock draft right now, they are projected to pick fourth, which would give them a shot at either drafting James Haggins, Anton Fondell, or Caleb Dan Noyet. All of whom are centers with with a ton of upside here for uh for the Boston Bruins. Let’s just sim the lottery here a few times and see what pops up. Uh, the first time I run it, the Bruins come in at Oh, I should share my screen here for you guys. Um, but um, why are you frozen here? The Bruins. Yeah, hopefully can get some uh, draft lottery luck on their side here coming up. The NHL draft lottery is set to take place on let’s see um when is the NHL draft? Usually around probably around May 5th or 6th and uh we’ll find out then of course what the Bruins will do. My first lottery running the Bruins move up to second uh and they would be projected to take Matthew Schaefer who’s a defenseman. I don’t know if they would jump and avoid the defenseman, but he is projected to be a top overall pick this year. The Bruins on my second running, move up to first. Still projected to take Matthew Schaefer. Again, I’m not sure if I would go with the defenseman no matter where they go. Uh the third running, they drop down to sixth and take a left winger in Victor Ecklund. Third running, they finish fourth and go with Hagens. And then the fifth running they drop to sixth and go with Eklan. Not sure if they would prioritize the winger over the center in Denuay, but these are all things that we will stay on top of here for the Boston Bruins as the season comes to an end. We’ll preview tomorrow’s game on tomorrow’s podcast uh and bring you all the latest on the black and gold here on the Locked On Boston Bruins podcast. I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. It’s finally sunny here in Ontario, although we’re supposed to get one more blast of winter on Wednesday, which is not fun, but uh excited about the long weekend coming up. Um and yeah, I mean, we’re not going to have Bruins playoff hockey to cover, but we will stay on top, of course, of all the Providence Bruins playoff action because a bunch of those guys will be in the running for NHL jobs next season. Happy Monday, friends. Please do take care of yourselves, take care of each other, and we’ll talk to you here on the next episode of Locked On Boston Bruins, part of the Locked On podcast network, your favorite team every single day.

Fabian Lysell, a Boston Bruins prospect, finally scored his first NHL goal in a win against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The podcast discusses Lysell’s development, highlighting his recent offensive contributions and improved play. Morgan Geekie’s impressive 10-game point streak and career-high 32 goals are examined, along with Elias Lindholm’s recent surge in production. David Pastrnak’s stellar season is praised, as he nears a career-high in assists. The episode touches on roster moves ahead of the season finale and analyzes the Bruins’ draft lottery odds. Despite missing the playoffs, the podcast finds positives in individual performances and looks ahead to the upcoming NHL Draft as a potential turning point for the franchise.

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