For the second time this season, Jake DeBrusk will be a healthy scratch when the Bruins take on the Penguins Tuesday night.
It's the latest attempt to spark the 24-year-old winger with time winding down on a career-worst season that sees DeBrusk with just four goals and seven assists in 34 games, including no goals and three assists in his last nine games.
Speaking to the media Tuesday morning, coach Bruce Cassidy shared his message for DeBrusk while acknowledging he isn't the only Bruins forward who needs to pick up his game.
"We just need a higher compete level," Cassidy said. "Every player's in a different place in their career here, and we just talked about the standard we expect him to play to. Everyone's gonna have an off night, but that's the message: It's not about individual stats, it's about you need to help this team win. In order to do that, if guys aren't scoring -- and I'll put him in that category, and there's a few others for sure -- then help us win.
"We're in the home stretch here. We need whatever it takes, player one through 20 in the lineup that particular night, to help us win. … That's the messaging to him. He's not alone in terms of some of his numbers not being where they want it to be, but like I said, at this time of the year, that sort of has to be secondary to playing for the crest on the front. Second effort and compete level needs to be higher for him. Like I said, he's not alone. There's a few others, but that's the decision we're making tonight."
Some of the challenges for DeBrusk this season have been out of his control. He missed two weeks with a lower-body injury in late January/early February, then two more weeks with COVID-19 in late March/early April. But he hasn't been good enough even when he's been able to play, and Cassidy has made it clear it's about more than just statistics.
DeBrusk's healthy scratch coincides with Charlie Coyle, who has also been struggling mightily, moving from center to right wing in an effort to spark his game as well. Sean Kuraly moves up to center the third line between Coyle and Nick Ritchie, while Trent Frederic re-enters the lineup on the fourth line with Curtis Lazar and Chris Wagner.
Cassidy was hoping Ritchie, Coyle and DeBrusk would give the Bruins a strong third line when he put them together after the trade deadline, but it hasn't panned out, with Coyle and DeBrusk's struggles a big reason why. Now, with just nine games left in the regular season, Cassidy has opted for a shakeup over continued patience.
DeBrusk did actually play a little better for a short stretch after his last healthy scratch on March 9. Cassidy will hope he responds similarly this time, but then keeps it going for a much longer stretch with the playoffs approaching.
