Sports Final: Bob Beers On Who Has Stepped Up For Bruins So Far
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Bruins sit at 6-5 on the season heading into Monday night's tilt with the Buffalo Sabres at TD Garden.
98.5 The Sports Hub's Bruins analyst Bob Beers will have the call of that game, along with Dave Goucher, as the Bruins look to bounce back from Saturday night's 5-2 loss to the Rangers in Boston.
Read: Bruins-Sabres Preview
Beers joined Steve Burton on WBZ-TV's Sports Final OT on Sunday night to discuss the start of the season, and pointed out a few Bruins who are exceeding their expectations so far.
Beers highlighted a player on each end of the ice, and so far, he has been very impressed with 19-year-old blue liner Brandon Carlo.
"Brandon Carlo has emerged and really stepped up to play a major role defensively for this team so far. He's paired up with Zdeno Chara and is a defensive defenseman," said Beers. "He is a big kid and, at 19, he is only going to get stronger. He has a good stick and good feet -- he can move. He's not really an offensive guy, still working on a few things; making that first pass and making decisions with the puck in his own zone under pressure. That will come because he's only 19 years old.
"He and Chara have really formed a good 1-2 punch on that first pair," added Beers.
On the offensive end, Beers pointed to forward David Pastrnak, who despite missing two games because of a suspension leads the team with seven goals.
"This is his third season and he has some confidence. He has taken the criticisms over the last two seasons and really worked on them," Beers said of Pastrnak. "He's taken them to heart and said 'I want to be better, a more complete player.' No one expects him to be a checker or run people over, but just be strong along the wall and accountable out on the ice, accountable to your teammates in certain situations. He's done all that, and still has the offensive flare that he possesses."
Beers also highlights the strong play from goaltender Tuukka Rask, and examines the poor offensive output from Boston's second and third line. Watch the full segment in the video above, and tune in to Sports Final every Sunday at 11:35 p.m. on WBZ-TV!
