First came the admission from Bruins coach Jim Montgomery: He isn’t a fan of the term “Cliffy Hockey.”
Then came the bombshell from Connor Clifton himself: Neither is he.
“We talked about it the other day. We both hate it,” Clifton said Monday night. “I never really liked it, honestly.”
What???
“Cliffy Hockey” has been used as a term of mostly affection by teammates, coaches and fans to describe Clifton’s play since he broke into the NHL with the Bruins during the 2018-19 season -- and in Providence even before that.
The idea was that it was an all-encompassing term that captured Clifton’s aggressive, energetic and, yes, occasionally reckless style of play. It often produced positive results, but sometimes resulted in Clifton taking himself out of the play or making a mistake instead.
It’s that second part that explains why “Cliffy Hockey” may be getting killed off. Montgomery, as a fresh set of eyes who didn’t see Clifton on a day-to-day basis earlier in his career, simply doesn’t see the recklessness.
“I do not like the term Cliffy Hockey -- not maybe from you guys using it, but within our room,” Montgomery said Monday night. “I actually spoke to him about it. I said I think it’s -- the way it’s brought up in the room and how it was born, it was born out of him being maybe too reckless, and Cliffy Hockey maybe going on his own page.
“The player that I see is someone that knows very much how the team’s playing, is always supporting the structure of the play, and has the ability because of his instincts to make high risk-reward plays. Tonight was the best game he’s had in a while, and I’m happy for him.”
That game, a 7-3 win over the Florida Panthers, featured a goal, an assist, a hit and a block from Clifton in just over 18 minutes of ice time.
The goal opened the game’s ample scoring 10:51 into the first. Clifton collected a Florida turnover in the neutral zone and raced into the offensive zone down the right wing. He then threw a pass to the front for Taylor Hall that bounced around a bit, but Clifton kept moving and was able to get the puck again on the other side of the net and fire a shot past Spencer Knight.
The Bruins' own Twitter account was still using "Cliffy Hockey" at that point in the game, but this was just good hockey. It wasn’t a reckless rush. Ending up below the goal line didn’t take him out of the play. It was exactly the right play. He had open ice in front of him and took it. Staying around the net instead of immediately retreating kept him in the play.
Clifton’s assist came in the third period on a Patrice Bergeron insurance goal. Clifton once again took control of the puck after a Panthers neutral-zone turnover. This time he didn’t have open ice in front of him, but he did have Bergeron. Clifton proceeded to make a nice indirect pass up the boards that sprung Bergeron into the offensive zone.
It was the latest strong game in a season that has seen Clifton play the best hockey of his career. He looks more confident and more under control. When he had to take on a top-four role earlier in the season with Charlie McAvoy out, he was more than up to the challenge. He has already passed his career high in points with 11, thanks in part to Montgomery’s system that allows him (and every defenseman) to get involved offensively without being reckless.
“I think really early in the year, we talked about his style. And as a D-man sitting in that room, you’re excited about it,” Clifton said of Montgomery’s system. “He likes closing plays fast and jumping up in the rush as the weak-side D. We’ve been a part of it all year and it’s obviously been really effective. Whatever six D are in the lineup, whatever the pairs are, it’s been extremely effective.”
Of course, Clifton’s success this season is a credit to his own growth and maturity as well. And with it, it seems Clifton has grown out of “Cliffy Hockey” and progressed to more consistent, less erratic play.
“I think it’s kind of gotten the polar opposites -- if I do something really good or really bad, like no in the middle,” Clifton said of the moniker. “I’m trying to be in the middle though, not gonna lie.”