Trent Frederic's goal against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday marked the first of the Boston Bruins' 2023-24 season. It also signified a pillar of their new offensive strategy coming to fruition.
BRIGHTON, Mass. – In front of a packed TD Garden crowd on Wednesday, while trailing 1-0 to the Chicago Blackhawks thanks to rookie phenom Connor Bedard’s first NHL goal, the Boston Bruins needed a spark.
With just under nine minutes left in the first period, Matt Poitras entered the left side of the offensive zone, drawing Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy down by the goal line before hitting the breaks, spinning around and firing a cross-ice pass to Brandon Carlo.
Carlo drifted forward and ripped a shot on net, where Trent Frederic had already positioned himself in front of to meet the puck with his stick and deflect it past Chicago goalie Arvid Soderblom, tying the game with the Bruins’ first goal of the 2023-24 season.
“[Carlo’s] always shooting for tips,” Frederic said after the game, a 3-1 win to open Boston’s 100th season. “I feel like I’ve tipped a couple of his last year. They don’t all go in, but he’s definitely good at shooting.”
Frederic is coming off a year where he scored 17 goals in 79 games after scoring just 12 across the previous 119 games in his career. The 25-year-old figures to be a staple on the third-line wing again this season. With an offense trying to make up for the losses of Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and Taylor Hall, his contributions are even more important.
Bruins coach Jim Montgomery was happy Frederic was able to get on the board so early in the year, noting that players that take longer to get going will often see their confidence take a hit.
“It’s important for any player to get that first one out of the way, for the year,” Montgomery said. “You can relax and then you start to play with a little more confidence and start to get to your game easier.”
At 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, Frederic has the size advantage in net-front situations, like he displayed on his goal, but it requires more than just a large frame to be successful.
“Well, one, it’s a lot of practice for the hand-eye coordination,” Montgomery said. “But two, it’s stopping at the net and understanding how to gain body position at the net. Very similar to basketball in that way.”
While Frederic won’t be suiting up for the Celtics anytime soon, his ability to box defenders out and create space up front falls directly in line with part of the Bruins’ identity on offense this season.
The Bruins have seven forwards in their lineup listed at 6-foot-3 or taller, all of whom weigh over 200 pounds. The team has committed to size and physical play up front, and their performance in those net-front situations will largely determine Boston’s success this season. Bruins President Cam Neely, who knows a thing or two about combining size with offensive prowess from his playing days, is optimistic about those chances.
“Those guys certainly don’t mind getting in there,” he said at Bruins Media Day on Monday. “So that’s a good thing.”