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Kalman: Seidenberg's Return To Form Provides Improved Bruins' Defense With Options

BOSTON (CBS) -- When the Bruins were in the midst of shutting out Pittsburgh on Wednesday at TD Garden, coach Claude Julien had the benefit of the second change and was able to sic Zdeno Chara and Adam McQuaid on the line led by Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins' leading scorer.

Malkin was kept off the scoresheet and limited to just one shot on net.

In Pittsburgh on Friday, the matchups went the Penguins' way – at least on paper. Instead of Chara and McQuaid, Malkin's line got a bigger dose of Dennis Seidenberg paired sometimes with Chara but also with Kevan Miller and even Colin Miller. The results, however, were the same. Malkin didn't score a point and he was held to two shots.

The moral of the story: Seidenberg is rounding into the form he was in prior to his back surgery in training camp and maybe even before his knee surgery in the 2013-14 season.

"I think Dennis Seidenberg's game's really come along lately. He's starting to resemble the player he was. So that's another plus for us on the back end," said Julien, who also credited the Bruins' defense corps' improvement to Chara and McQuaid playing well together and the other players playing at a higher level.

Seidenberg is driven by the type of confidence that doesn't allow him to give his play a low grade. Nonetheless he's willing to allow for the idea that a little less than three months removed from back surgery, he's become more effective.

"I got more games under my belt," he said after practice Saturday at TD Garden. "Not having camp and all that, it's just a natural thing. You play more, you feel more comfortable and the team's playing better. And that's definitely helps."

Seidenberg not only missed training camp, he didn't play in the Bruins' first 14 games. Regardless of how he was playing, the Bruins decided they could live without him earlier this month when he was scratched against Nashville and Montreal, a loss and a win, respectively. Whether he was a healthy scratch or needed to nurse an injury or sickness is still somewhat a mystery, but regardless the time off has worked to reinvigorate Seidenberg's play.

Since coming back, Seidenberg has been more physical and he's been able to move the puck better. He's given Julien a second-pair option that can take some of the responsibility from Chara and McQuaid. Of course, he's as humble as he is confident and refuses to accept too much credit for the Bruins' back-end improvement.

"Again it's about team defense," he said. "If the forwards play good D, if they support and communicate with us, it makes life a lot easier. There are breakdowns here and there but for the most part we're able to cover it up and have our layers and that's why it's working out."

Nonetheless, a few weeks ago it didn't look like Seidenberg was a fit for the Bruins anymore. With his sluggish play and his time in the press box during games, it was worth considering whether the Bruins might pursue a deal to find Seidenberg a new home. Buying him out after this season (he's signed for two more seasons at $4 million) had to cross a couple people's minds – but not now.

Seidenberg is finding his form. The Bruins need not just his rugged play in the defensive zone, but his veteran experience with younger defensemen Colin Miller, Zack Trotman and Joe Morrow. The younger guys on the current Bruins roster, and ones coming down the pipe, should be ready to bump Seidenberg out of the top four by the end of his contract. For now they get to watch him continue to improve, even at age 34, and hope he can help them gain some playoff experience come spring.

Matt Kalman covers the Bruins for CBSBoston.com and also contributes to NHL.com and several other media outlets. Follow him on Twitter @TheBruinsBlog.

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