Kastelic gives Bruins much-needed energy and anger in win over Utah
It was already apparent that the Boston Bruins lack the offensive firepower to survive poor discipline, sloppy defense, and leaky goaltending. But above all other problems, the team missed a certain energy or intensity. It led to bad losses against what should be inferior clubs.
Which is why it was especially important for fourth-line center Mark Kastelic to bring that fervor every game, and ramp it up when necessary. In Thursday night’s win over the Utah Hockey Club, he delivered, and doubled down.
Ironically, it got started after Kastelic played regular ol’ hockey. He made two fairly standard, clean, mild body checks, engaged with aware opponents, and this was ostensibly the moment Utah defenseman Robert Bortuzzo decided to take umbrage.
You can’t leave the bench on a line change and immediately start a fight, by the way, and so Bortuzzo should be suspended for that after Tampa’s Conor Geekie sat for a preseason game last month for doing the same thing. But that’s another story. Kastelic immediately dropped the gloves and scrapped with Bortuzzo and the two crashed to the ice.
Later in the game, soon after the Bruins took the lead on an emotional goal for both Elias Lindholm and the team, Kastelic took a high shoulder from Bortuzzo and, naturally, they went for round 2.
The Bruins fed off Kastelic’s intensity. Even if the scoring goes up and down and the team structure is hit-or-miss, intensity should be something they can do consistently, and that’s Kastelic’s calling card.
“I definitely feel like the guys in this room respect that a lot, which I appreciate,” Kastelic said after the game. “I’m just trying to make an impact the best I can, in any way, shape or form. You definitely feel the energy from the crowd and the fans.
“We got the win and that’s the most important thing, and hopefully I kind of fueled the guys a little bit, but at the same time it’s just part of my game.”
Despite Kastelic’s impact, the Bruins could still muster only one goal, and on the power play. So it was important for goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to hook up to the Kastelic IV at the other end, too.
“Those couple fights Kasty had, it just brings everyone into the game, and the crowd was great today, all that,” Korpisalo said. “Electrifies the whole team.”
Korpisalo stopped all 21 Utah shots on the night, including three on the penalty kill and a stop on Nick Schmaltz with just 38 seconds left in regulation. Strong goaltending wasn’t needed on just Thursday night. It’s going to be needed all season. It’s how they’re built.
Compete level is another quality they will have to bring out of themselves from time to time, because they can’t coast on talent. There hasn’t been nearly enough of it in what’s been a sluggish start for a Bruins team that at times barely has a pulse.
Thursday night was a much-welcome jolt, and Kastelic was the primary spark. The hope is he’s sufficiently recharged and can give another one on Saturday night in Detroit. They’ll need it many nights going forward.
“He changed the tide of the game,” captain Brad Marchand said of Kastelic. “He got us feeling emotionally engaged. You need that throughout the course of the year. Guys like him, you never truly understand how valuable they are. They’re the guys that really carry the team in the toughest times. Playoff time, you always see it. Depth guys and those emotional guys, they have the ability to change the course of the game and a shift.
“The way he plays the game the right way, he’s a guy we can look to to be a leader and a guy we can emulate, with the way he plays emotionally and wears his heart on his sleeve. He did a great job.”
Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.
