Sometimes it's difficult to gauge an organization's views on where a player ranks among its prospect pecking order.
In Connor Clifton's case, it seemed as though the free-agent signee wasn't being held in high regard at his natural position of defenseman. When the Bruins wrapped up their three-game stint at the rookie tournament in Buffalo last September, Clifton played forward while many of Boston's top prospects sat that game out.
Fast forward to December when the Providence Bruins were short forwards because of injuries and call-ups. Again Clifton was asked to switch positions. It didn't look like the Bruins were giving Clifton, a fifth-round draft pick of the Arizona Coyotes in 2013 and a four-year standout at Quinnipiac, a full-throated endorsement as part of their defense corps moving forward.
Boy how things have changed.
With Kevan Miller out of the lineup, and probably not close to returning, because of a lower-body injury, Clifton has become a fixture on Boston's third defense pair. He's averaged 11:45 of ice time in seven postseason games, and in the Bruins' 4-3 Game 5 victory in the Eastern Conference second round against Columbus on Saturday he picked up his first postseason points – an assist on Brad Marchand's goal.
Clifton will be in the lineup against for Game 6 on Monday in Columbus, where the Bruins will try to clinch the best-of-7 series and advance to the Eastern Conference finals against Carolina.
"Yeah, I mean I guess we have been building towards it," the 24-year-old Clifton said after Game 5 about him getting more confidence to make offensive plays in the postseason of his rookie NHL year.
Clifton played 19 regular-season games for Boston, all on defense, and his game improved with each call-up. It was vital that he never took it as an insult that the Bruins sometimes asked him to change positions while higher-regarded prospects got all their reps on the blue line.
"No, I wouldn't take it as disrespect, I mean … more like a compliment because you know he put me in that role that's so different and knew I could do it and be fine with it, right," Clifton told WEEI.com earlier this spring.
Clifton's been battling for respect his whole career. A regime change in Arizona led the Coyotes to not pursue a contract with Clifton while he was in college. After he had 14 points in 39 games as a senior he joined Boston on a minor-league deal and 13 points in 54 games for Providence before earning a two-year NHL deal in May.
Over the course of this season he calmed down his game and took advantage of the injuries that decimated both Boston and Providence's defense corps during the regular season. In some ways his game has proven to be better suited for the NHL than the AHL.
"It is, it's a little easier up here, I think just because the forechecks … I feel like down in Providence you've got three forwards forechecking you, and you've got to get around three guys," he said. "It's different [in the NHL]. A lot of times they run their system, you've got to beat a 1-1-2, you're working with your partner, you're always talking. I feel like there's guys that always want the puck. Sometimes down in the American League it's a little frantic."
Having mentors like Providence coach Jay Leach and Boston coach Bruce Cassidy, both former defensemen that went through everything imaginable in multiple leagues, has been a fortuitous turn in Clifton's career.
Now while Cassidy has been shuffling a forward or two in and out of the lineup almost every game, Clifton has helped keep the defense corps steady.
"I think he's defended pretty well with a good stick. So we trust him to play," Cassidy said.
*In addition to Clifton, the Bruins lineup will remain the same in Game 6 as it was Game 5, including Charlie McAvoy, who was fine after blocking Artemi Panarin's shot in the closing seconds of Boston's win.
Noel Acciari (upper body) remains out for the second straight game.
So you're Bruins lineup looks like this:
Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak
DeBrusk-Krejci-Backes
Johansson-Coyle-Heinen
Nordstrom-Kuraly-Wagner
Chara-McAvoy
Krug-Carlo
Grzelcyk-Clifton
Rask
Halak
*Columbus coach John Tortorella said Monday that the Blue Jackets "dented" Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask while scoring three goals in the third period of Game 5. Cassidy disagreed with the terminology.
"No, I don't think he's been dented. He got three times the other night," Cassidy said. "The post got dented late by [Matt] Duchene, a break went our way. But he made a big stop on [Cam] Atkinson, that's what I remember in the last 10 minutes for the most part. We had our share of offense as well."
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