How much do these final games of a lost season actually mean for Bruins players? Maybe not much at all for those who have been around all season and already written their season story, for better or worse.
But if you’re Fabian Lysell? Well, these games mean a lot. Boston’s 2021 first-round pick is getting his first extended NHL action, and he’s trying to prove that he can play at this level and be a part of the Bruins’ future.
That has been in question. Lysell’s development has not always gone smoothly. His three seasons with AHL Providence have featured plenty of ups and downs. His offensive output improved from 37 points in 54 games in 2022-23 to 50 points in 56 games last year, only to drop back down to 34 points in 51 games this season.
Lysell was unable to win the competition for the Bruins’ second-line right wing job in training camp in the fall. He had a strong stretch of 15 points in 13 games for Providence from mid-December to late January this season, only to follow it up with just four points in his next 12 games. When the offense isn’t there, Lysell does not bring enough value in other areas. The need for him to get stronger has been evident in board battles and hits taken.
So, it was a bit concerning when Lysell started his NHL career with zero points in his first eight games (one of which came back in December; the rest since March 22). He finally registered his first point with an assist in Tuesday’s win over New Jersey, which was also easily his best all-around game to that point. On multiple occasions, Lysell set up other chances by using his speed to transition through the center ice and gain the offensive zone before dishing to an open teammate.
After a slight step back Thursday, Lysell turned in another strong performance Sunday, and was rewarded with his first NHL goal in the Bruins’ 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The goal came on the power play midway through the second, with Lysell finding open space in front of the net and finishing off a feed from Pavel Zacha.
There was more offensive generation beyond the goal. During one shift in the first period, Lysell was all over the puck the whole shift and set up both Zacha and Fraser Minten for quality scoring chances. On his next shift, Lysell used his speed to drive past Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves down the wing before taking the puck to the net and forcing a save from Tristan Jarry. He also drew a penalty on Kris Letang in the third period – although it was probably a bad call, if we’re being fair.
“Good on him,” interim head coach Joe Sacco said of Lysell. “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. So, there’s some things to like in his game, that’s for sure.”
In 10 games since his recall on March 22, Lysell leads the Bruins in 5-on-5 shots on goal per 60 minutes, ranks second in shot attempts per 60, and fourth in individual scoring chances per 60.
If the Bruins had something to play for down the stretch, Lysell might not have gotten a ninth, 10th, 11th game to prove himself. The eight games without a point might have been a couple too many. But the Bruins aren’t playing for anything other than draft position, so they could afford to give Lysell a longer leash. And now, there’s at least a small sample of that patience paying off.
“Like anything, it takes time to get comfortable, learn the games, get to know the players you’re playing with,” Lysell said this past week. “All that takes time. It’s just about building and trusting it, and then eventually sort of the timing and everything starts making more sense.”
A few good games does not mean Lysell is now an NHLer for good. It does not mean the Bruins can plan on him being an impact player next season. But it’s a start. It’s something to build on.
Lysell and the rest of the Bruins have one more game in Boston Tuesday night, but Lysell’s season will actually continue beyond that. He will go back to Providence for the AHL playoffs, which is something he is looking forward to. He has unfinished business there after having his last two AHL postseasons cut short by injury.
“I haven’t really been healthy for any playoffs down there since I came in, so I’m actually really excited for that,” Lysell said. “And I think we have a very deep team this year that if we have everything clicking, we could definitely go far. So, I’m excited for that too, for sure.”