Karson Kuhlman In, Jake DeBrusk Likely Out For Bruins In Game 5 Vs. Islanders
BOSTON (CBS) -- Karson Kuhlman will return to the Bruins' lineup for Game 5 against the Islanders on Monday night. And it appears as though Jake DeBrusk will be a spectator.
Kuhlman worked on the third line with Charlie Coyle and Nick Ritchie during Monday's morning skate, taking the place of DeBrusk.
While Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy didn't confirm that DeBrusk will be the odd man out, he did state that Kuhlman will be playing on Monday night.
"Well what Kuhly typically brings is he brings high energy, he gets his feet moving," Cassidy said. "Good play away from the puck. Again, help us win, do what you do best, which is energy on the forecheck. He certainly can create some secondary offense, can shoot the puck, can get in and disrupt some of the breakouts. He does it more with his foot speed and stick than his physicality, but certainly capable of finishing some checks if they're there."
Cassidy added: "He's a consistent solid player. The other thing he's good at is keeping his motor running if he doesn't get shifts and we get into power play situations and penalty kill where he's not getting out there, to stay in the game. We know he's done that well, so we value that part of his game as well."
Kuhlman played in Game 2 of this series, picking up a secondary assist on Charlie Coyle's first-period goal. That was Kuhlman's lone postseason appearance thus far this season, after he had two goals and zero assists in 20 games played during the regular season. In his career, he has six goals and seven assists in 56 regular-season games played. He has 1-3-4 totals in 14 career playoff games.
Kuhlman will skate on the third line, with center Charlie Coyle and winger Nick Ritchie. Cassidy said that he liked the work of the fourth line in Game 4, and thus wouldn't be disrupting the trio of Sean Kuraly, Chris Wagner, and Curtis Lazar.
The 24-year-old DeBrusk registered zero points and a minus-2 rating with just five shots on goal through the first four games of the series. DeBrusk continues to struggle in what has been his worst season as a pro. He was a healthy scratch multiple times during the regular season, when he scored five goals and had nine assists in 41 games played while moving up and down the forward lineup. He scored goals in Games 1 and 2 against Washington to begin the playoffs, but he's recorded just one single point in the seven games since.
DeBrusk was also bumped off the puck in the Islanders' zone in Game 4, in the sequence that immediately preceded New York scoring what proved to be the game-winning goal.
