Bruins notes: Bruce Cassidy says Brett Ritchie demotion unrelated to a lack of fight
BOSTON — According to the Bruins, the demotion of winger Brett Ritchie to AHL Providence wasn't because he failed to address the loss of goaltender Tuukka Rask by confronting Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Emil Bemstrom, whose stray left arm in the opening minutes of Tuesday's game concussed Rask.
The B’s said Ritchie, who signed a one-year, $1 million contract as a free agent last summer, is not their best roster option at the moment.
“No, it wouldn’t have been anything to do with that particular incident,” said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy after Thursday's morning skate at Warrior Ice Arena, hours before taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins at TD Garden.
“(Ritchie’s) overall play since we signed him has been inconsistent," Cassidy continued. "We feel that Brett has had some good games, done some of the things we asked or expected, to help us win. Other times, we had to push him to get there. The timing of some of our guys getting healthy has something to do with (the demotion).”
The Bruins, who could have replaced Ritchie’s size (6-foot-4, 220 pounds) and physical nature with 6-2, 200-pound prospect Trent Frederic (20 points, 102 penalty minutes in 37 games with the P-Bruins), chose instead to recall 5-11, 185-pounder Karson Kuhlman, who started the season in Boston (8 games, 0 points) before sustaining a fractured right leg Oct. 19.
“He’s a completely different player than Brett Ritchie in terms of their stature, but we like Kuhlman’s ability to play with pace, help on the forecheck, and he adds to the penalty kill, so you’ve got another tool for special teams,” Cassidy said. “He’s a guy we’ve watched develop for the last year, and we feel he can help us.”
Kuhlman got into 11 regular-season games last season (3 goals, 5 points) as a first-year pro, and added a goal and two assists over eight playoff games. Included were Games 6 and 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, which Kuhlman played over veteran David Backes, who's yet another option the Bruins didn’t use in Ritchie’s place for Thursday’s opener of a home-and-home with the Pens.
Cassidy, citing injuries that have kept defenseman Kevan Miller and Connor Clifton off the ice, and Backes’ lengthy concussion history, admitted the B’s are somewhat short of players who can “pull it (physical or confrontational play) out of us a little,” but doesn’t see his team as overmatched or unwilling to engage opponents.
“I do believe this team plays together, sticks together, has been accountable for years,” Cassidy said. “I think we’ve tried to balance (skill and physicality) … but I believe that in this room, if anything happens, the guys will be together.”
Area outreach
Weymouth's Charlie Coyle, who tweeted a message of support to injured North Quincy High School player Connor Kulig after Kulig fractured a vertebra during last Wednesday’s game against Scituate, ended up in conversation with Kulig through social media channels.
“I heard about (Kulig), saw a lot of people posting well wishes, good thoughts, so I just wanted to add to that,” Coyle said of his original tweet, which closed with the message “We are all with you in this.”
“And then he reached out to me through social media, so we kind of chatted a little bit. That was nice.”
Coyle, who was excited to see Kulig laughing, smiling and regaining movement in a recent local TV broadcast, is certain Kulig will get more support than he could imagine.
“The hockey community is very small,” Coyle said. “It seems like we always have each other’s backs. That’s what it’s all about. It’s so tight-knit. When something like this happens, everyone comes together, stronger. It helps a bunch.”
Around the boards
Daniel Vladar was recalled from AHL Providence to back up goalie Jaroslav Halak, whom Cassidy tentatively plans to start in Sunday’s visit to Pittsburgh, and next Tuesday’s home game against the Golden Knights, which takes the B’s into the All-Star break and Bye Week … Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, a healthy scratch on Tuesday for the first time this season, returned to the lineup … Anton Blidh, who has played four games in Providence as part of his rehabilitation from shoulder surgery, came up to Warrior Arena to participate in Thursday’s morning skate.