From Jack Studnicka to Anton Blidh and a handful of others in between, the Bruins have been looking for a spark of youth in their lineup, especially given the issues they’ve had with COVID related absences.
With Karson Kuhlman and now Jake DeBrusk in COVID protocol, Oskar Steen has been identified as that next man up. Or, that next young man up.
So far, he’s made the most of his opportunity.
“Guys like Oskar, he’s quiet, he works hard, plays the right way, goes to the net, he finishes his checks,… said head coach Bruce Cassidy. “Especially for a guy that’s not big, he plays a courageous game. I think people are rooting for him.…
Steen too, had an issue with COVID last month, right before the Bruins and eventually the rest of the league paused activities through the holiday break. Steen would later land on the NHL’s protocol list. He had played three games prior.
In the five games Steen has appeared in thus far, he has a point in all but one of those five, including his first career goal in Tuesday’s 5-3 victory over New Jersey.
Your first career NHL goal will always be a memorable one, no doubt about that. But this one? When it comes to how you score your first, I don’t think we’ll see one as bizarre as Steen’s.
This one's definitely hard to forget. â˜ï¸ #NHLBruins | @oskaarsteen pic.twitter.com/Q6Rab3GAJh
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) January 5, 2022
“The goal, clever, right? Puck is on the net, some guys might of tried to bat it off or push it off instead of batting it up into the air. I’m not sure through his mind he was planning on poking it up and going off the goalie’s back,… said Cassidy. “He’s probably hoping it landed on his stick on the ice and he could whack it in. Clever play, a little composure, happy for him.…
After being designated for a fourth line role in Sunday’s win over Detroit, Steen was promoted to the third line with Nick Foligno and Charlie Coyle on Tuesday.
For Steen’s sake, the 23-year-old has been presented with a golden opportunity to not only show where he’s at in his development, but to take a spot on the Bruins roster and run with it.
“So far, with Oskar, he’s been able to make the jump, still play his game. Good for him. That’s what you hope and you want,… Cassidy said. “You just can never predict which guys will be able to do it, and right now he has done it. Still early, but let’s hope it continues.…
Steen has been impressive in his brief time with the Bruins this season. He’s showing much of what has made him successful in the AHL. But also with Steen’s performance is in the internal competition that comes from him being in the lineup and performing well.
Had DeBrusk not been a late addition to the COVID list, Curtis Lazar would once again have been watching from above as a healthy scratch.
Knowing Steen is likely to stay in the lineup until he’s no longer fit for a roster spot, Lazar’s effort Tuesday was one of his better ones this season, opening the scoring for the Bruins.
“Competition from below, from pushing up the lineup. I think we can sort of analyze it, yes. But all of a sudden Lazar who was out has a more effective game because we see someone go into his spot,… said Cassidy. I think those are good things, creating competition in your lineup.…
Steen is producing and the Bruins need it. For now at least, he should be here to stay.