Time For Bruins' Schaller To Take Advantage Of Unexpected Opportunity
By Matt Kalman, CBS Boston
For much of the Bruins' past three games, two of which they've won, forward Tim Schaller has found himself in a position he didn't expect he'd be in when the season started and the Bruins didn't expect they'd put him.
Schaller has swapped lines with Ryan Spooner several times during those games, but for the most part Schaller has been the left wing on the Bruins' second line with center David Krejci and right wing David Backes.
Despite his reputation as a gritty energy player, Schaller hasn't hurt that line. But he hasn't helped yet either. In the past three games, he has one assist – the secondary assist on Jimmy Hayes' goal against Tampa Bay on Nov. 27. Schaller has three goals and four assists in 21 games this season, mostly playing in the Bruins' bottom six.
It's not Schaller's fault injuries to Frank Vatrano and Noel Acciari, the ineffectiveness of Hayes and the inconsistency of Spooner have forced coach Claude Julien to cast Schaller in more of a starring role. And it's not like Krejci and Backes have forged the type of chemistry that would make one forget the Krejci-Milan Lucic connection. Right now the Bruins would settle for Krejci-Backes to be reminiscent of Krejci-Vladimir Sobotka.
The second line is in flux. However, Schaller needs to help and he knows it.
"We've been working pretty well together," Schaller said after practice at Warrior Ice Arena on Friday. "I don't know if we've had too many Grade A opportunities to capitalize on. But Backes and Krejci, they're good enough players that it'll come. If we just stick to it, those opportunities will come and their good enough to bury those chances too. The goals will come."
Considering the many roles the Bruins have asked Schaller to play –he's also a fixture on the penalty kill in addition to his 5-on-5 duties on any of three lines – he's proven to be a bargain at $600,000 for one year. Schaller, Acciari and Dominic Moore were just starting to stake their claim as a permanent, effective fourth line at both ends of the rink when Acciari was injured.
Julien openly admitted he's still testing out different combinations to find a solution to the second-line problem. Julien thought the Krejci-Backes line with Matt Beleskey on left wing was "doing nothing" and now Beleskey has found a home with Riley Nash and Austin Czarnik. For now it's between Schaller and Spooner for that second line assignment.
"I've switched them around during the games because ... at times I didn't think that line's producing much offense because maybe it's lacking a little bit of speed at that time," Julien explained. "So you put Spooner back out there. But sometimes you feel that that line's not winning enough battles, spending enough time in the offensive zone, so you put Schaller out there because he's going to play a little grittier. That's what I mean. We'd love to be able to find the consistent player."
At least until Vatrano is healthy, this is an open competition. It's hard to believe that Schaller, signed for depth, has a legitimate chance at getting regular minutes with two of Boston's more talented and highest-paid forwards, but Schaller has shown a tricky wrist shot to go along with his willingness to do some dirty work. He's still adapting to playing with the ever-unpredictable Krejci, but Schaller said that if he gets open and keeps his stick on the ice, he's certain Krejci will regularly set him up in the near future.
There would be no better time for Schaller to get himself and his line going than Saturday, when the Bruins take on Schaller's old team the Buffalo Sabres. Schaller, undrafted out of Providence College, played for the Sabres organization for three seasons, including 35 NHL games. Schaller said he got a fair shake from the Sabres but both sides decided to part ways over the summer before he became an unrestricted free agent.
Buffalo might be surprised to see where Schaller fits into the Bruins lineup these days. But they'll see his familiar style of play when the puck drops.
"I don't want to change too much. I want to keep my game simple and things like that, get pucks to the net. I haven't contributed on that line but hopefully we can get it going," he said.
Matt Kalman covers the Bruins for CBSBoston.com and also contributes to NHL.com and several other media outlets. Follow him on Twitter @MattKalman.
