It’s not always easy to literally see frustration creep into a player’s game. There are some obvious tells, like a player smashing his stick against the boards or shaking his head on the bench or taking a dumb penalty.
Jake DeBrusk didn’t do any of that Tuesday night against the Wild, but the shot he took right before Minnesota’s winning goal in overtime looked like a shot taken by a frustrated player.
Skate Pod Mailbag: What happens when Poitras returns? What should the B's do with DeBrusk?
He wasn’t in a high-danger scoring area to begin with, and he badly missed the net. Both are no-no’s in a 3-on-3 situation, precisely because of what happened next: The Wild got to the loose puck first and had a 3-on-1 the other way, for which DeBrusk and the Bruins paid.
DeBrusk hasn’t scored a goal in eight games. He has one assist in the last seven, and zero points in the last four. He is stuck on four goals and seven assists in 29 games for the year, rivaling his ugly 2020-21 COVID season for the worst scoring pace of his seven-year career.
He had a couple chances earlier in Tuesday’s game that he couldn’t bury, including one earlier in overtime. His coach, Jim Montgomery, sees a player trying to make something happen – in this case, unfortunately, at the expense of good decision-making.
“Yes. And I think it's also a product from within that game,” Montgomery said Thursday. “He had opportunities, like literally the 3-on-3 shift before, he took a shot from a real good area and he sailed it just over the crossbar. And I could sense his frustration.
“I thought he had a really good game. Like, his speed was very noticeable, had the other team on their heels. He was creating opportunities not only for himself, but for his linemates. So, I felt he was on the verge. And that factors into it, right? He just missed, so now he's not as patient and he lets a shot go. I've talked to him. I’m not saying anything here that I haven't told him. That's not good game management 3-on-3.”
As DeBrusk’s scoring woes continue and the frustration grows, the question – and one that was asked in our latest Skate Pod mailbag, which you can listen to above – is, what do the Bruins do about DeBrusk?
Montgomery could healthy-scratch him as a wakeup call. General manager Don Sweeney could try to trade him if the Bruins are simply ready to move on. Or they could just keep him playing him and hope the goals start to come.
That third option isn’t the sexiest answer, and it’s not the one DeBrusk’s critics want to hear, but it is the most likely choice – and the correct one as far as I’m concerned.
A healthy scratch seems unlikely. Montgomery just said he thought DeBrusk played well aside from that ill-advised shot in overtime. He hasn’t even pulled back on DeBrusk’s minutes to this point, as he has topped 17 minutes in each of the last four games. DeBrusk remains fifth among Bruins forwards in average ice time, and fourth in 5-on-5 minutes.
There is a reason for that. While DeBrusk is not scoring himself, there continues to be more good than bad happening when he’s on the ice. He is a plus-9 at 5-on-5, tied with Pavel Zacha for the best mark among Bruins forwards. His 54.6% expected goals-for ranks third behind James van Riemsdyk and Matt Poitras.
DeBrusk has been a minus at 5-on-5 in just three games this season. While the Bruins as a team have often been outshot, DeBrusk has been on the ice for more shots against than for just twice in the last 11 games. He is also fourth among Boston forwards in shorthanded time on ice for the league’s No. 1 penalty kill. His defense has not slipped the way it might have a couple years ago during a scoring slump.
That’s not to say that the lack of goals isn't concerning, or that it's simply a product of bad luck. There is some of that involved considering that his shooting percentage (6.2%) is half his career average (12.4%). But DeBrusk is also not shooting as much as last season, and he’s not getting as many high-danger chances as last year. It’s on him to get more aggressive when it comes to attacking the net.
A trade also seems unlikely, at least in the short-term. DeBrusk’s value is at a low point. He’s also a pending free agent, which likely limits his market to other playoff teams. Trading DeBrusk would immediately put the Bruins in the market for another middle-six winger. They would likely have to give up more assets for that player than they would get for DeBrusk.
Selling low is rarely good business. Even if Sweeney has it in his mind that he’d like to trade DeBrusk this season, he might want to wait and hope DeBrusk starts scoring in order to increase his value at least a little bit. And that’s only going to happen if DeBrusk continues to play.
Which brings us back to the best option. Whether the end goal is DeBrusk remaining with and helping the Bruins or getting something for him in a trade, the Bruins have to allow him to try to play his way out of this scoring funk.