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Finally a Stanley Cup Final apperance for David Backes

May 20, 2019, 12:03 PM ET [13 Comments]
Anthony Travalgia
Boston Bruins Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
If you went around the Bruins locker room following their four game sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals and asked them who among the group they were the most happy for, the answer would be nearly unanimous.

David Backes.

“It’s awesome to see the passion and the emotion that he has and he had it on his face after this game,” Brad Marchand said. “He’s been such a huge part of our group. He’s such a great leader. We build so much emotion off the way that he plays. He’s just a phenomenal guy, phenomenal teammate and he’s had an incredible career.”

Of the Bruins who will be rostered for the Stanley Cup, Backes and backup goalie Jaroslav Halak are the two Bruins who have had the longest National Hockey League careers, and yet to win a cup.

After coming close to getting there in his final season with the St. Louis Blues, this year will mark Backes’ first career Stanley Cup Final appearance.

Backes and the Blues appeared in the 2016 Western Conference Finals where they were defeated by the San Jose Sharks in six games.

As the Bruins sit back and wait to see whom their opponent in the Stanley Cup Final will be, Backes will have a connection with whichever team ends up as the one standing between him and lifting the Stanley Cup for the first time.

Either Backes will skate against his former team in the Blues, or the team who ended what prior to this postseason, was his longest career playoff run in the Sharks.

“They’ll play out however they play out,” Backes said. “I’ve got no bearing out that, so we’ll watch from afar, get our rest, and hopefully heal a couple bumps and bruises that you get along these playoffs. You sacrifice a lot to win this game. We’ll be ready for whoever it is.”

As great of a story it would be if Backes got the chance to play in a Stanley Cup Final against the team he was drafted by and spent six seasons with, he’s just trying to focus on bringing the Stanley Cup back to Boston.

“I don’t know if it would be extra special, but it would be a lot of emotion. It’s a place that’s near and dear to my heart, still got a lot of friends and I wish them the best, but we’re concentrating on the Boston Bruins winning a Stanley Cup with this group of brothers we’ve created here,” Backes said. “We’re all in for our team and whoever our opponent is, we’re going to face them head on.”

Since leaving the Blues and signing a five-year $30 million contract with the Bruins in July of 2016, Backes has struggled to fit into a consistent role with the team. A tough pill to swallow for a guy who was such an important contributor to the Blues as the team’s captain for several years.

It was clear throughout the season that Backes was struggling to accept his new role. Often a healthy scratch, Backes was looking for answers.

During a road trip in February, Backes and head coach Bruce Cassidy met away from the rink to discuss Backes’ role. It was a conversation where both parties left happy with the way the discussion went.

After the conversation, Backes was still often a healthy scratch as the Bruins inched towards, and eventually solidifying a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. But any time Backes’ name was called upon, he would jump into things with arms wide open, doing whatever it was he could do to help the team.

When the playoffs did role around, Backes was a scratch for Game 1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It was the first playoff scratch of his career.

Backes appeared in just four of the seven first round games against the Maple Leafs including Game 6 and 7.

He was also a scratch for the first three games of their second round series with the Columbus Blue Jackets, but with the Bruins trailing 2-1 in the series, Cassidy went back to Backes who answered with a key assist in a Game 4 victory. Backes went on to pick up a point in each game he played in against the Blue Jackets, including a massive insurance goal in Game 6.

Finding a connection with Jake DeBrusk and David Krejci on the second line, Backes was an important part of the Bruins sweep over Carolina.

“Well, he's done what he did, typically for us, late in the year he went in and played a lesser role and played it well, high energy, physical, played a lot with like a Kuraly or Wagner type of line, or Nordstrom,” Cassidy said.

“And now he's moved up with Krech (David Krejci). A little different situation for him. But he's done a real good job. I got a lot of respect for David. Wasn't easy to have a conversation the first time we sat him out and we did in the playoffs as well, trying to get what we thought was the best line up right or wrong. He's been a true pro the whole time.”

When discussing the opportunity that is now in front of him, you could see the emotion in Backes’ tone. With 13 years in the league and at the age of 35, Backes could not be happier to finally have this opportunity.

“You don’t know when you’re going to get these opportunities. It’s something we’ve stressed to the younger guys that they’re pretty darn fortunate to be in the Stanley Cup Final now. We were saying Eastern Conference Final before, but now it’s Stanley Cup Final. Some guys play their whole career and never get this opportunity,” said Backes.

Backes has played in 78 career playoff games, between the Blues and Bruins, scoring 17 goals and adding 22 assists.

“You’ve thought about this moment for a long time, of playing for that ultimate prize that you dream of when you’re a kid,” Backes said. “Now, it’s reality. It’s us against one other team, and one of us is going home with that Stanley Cup. It’s what you dream about.”

Making it to your first Stanley Cup is always a special moment. But you have to think that this one has a little more meaning to him, given how this year has gone.

“When you’re out, it’s kind of like a psychology experiment. What are you going to do with your brain? Are you going to let it go wild and have a pity party for yourself, or are you going to prepare for the next opportunity that you get, capitalize on it and make the most of it and make it tough on them to take you back out of the lineup?” Backes said.

“I think I’ve chosen the latter and been able to step in, make an impact. I don’t know if anyone thought it would be back with (Krejci), but we found a little bit of chemistry. He’s moving pretty well, he’s an excellent player with his vision with the puck, Jake’s speed, and hopefully I disrupt something, create a turnover and let the skill take over.”

Although things haven’t gone quite to plan during Backes’ tenure in Boston, getting to a Stanley Cup Final is a well-deserved honor for Backes.

“Like I said, I'm happy for him, he's paid his dues in this league for a long time and he gets to go to his first Stanley Cup final,” said Cassidy.

“As do I by the way,” Cassidy added with a smile.
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