Boston Bruins forward Pat Maroon practiced in full with the team on Friday, and while coach Jim Montgomery has yet to confirm Maroon's inclusion in the lineup, the 35-year-old forward is confident he'll take the ice against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.
Boston Bruins forward Pat Maroon practiced in full with the team on Friday, and while coach Jim Montgomery has yet to confirm Maroon's inclusion in the lineup, the 35-year-old forward is confident he'll take the ice against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.
BRIGHTON, Mass. -- Pat Maroon didn't mince words. Asked straight-up if he will be in the Boston Bruins' lineup against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, the 35-year-old forward simply said: “Yeah, I’ll be there.”
Maroon has not played since Jan. 27, and he's spent the last two-and-a-half months recovering from back surgery in early February. Now, more than a month after the Bruins acquired him from the Minnesota Wild at the NHL Trade Deadline on March 8, it appears Maroon will finally suit up for the Black and Gold.
“Glad to be back. Glad to just be a part of the team again and be in the lineup, so it’s exciting times," he said.
Bruins coach Jim Montgomery was not as explicit, but said he was progressing well.
“We’re very cautious before saying ‘yes, he is,'" Montgomery said. "Just because we got to see how he responds tomorrow. That was a 40-minute practice. He’s a part of every drill for the first time on a regular rotation, so we’ll see how he is tomorrow morning."
Maroon skated on the fourth line with Jakub Lauko and Jesper Boqvist on Friday. He also got a look on the second power play unit. Although he never expected to get power play time with the Bruins, Maroon is excited about the opportunity. With just three games left in the regular season, the Bruins appear to be throwing everything at the wall to determine their best course of action for Game 1 of the playoffs.
Maroon said he's happy to be able to get some games in before the postseason begins, but added that he won't need much time to get ready for it.
“Does it matter? No, I don’t think it really does," Maroon said. "I think it’s all mental, it’s all in your head. We’re professional athletes. I think we all know what we need and what we don’t need. But like I said, I’ve been here before. I’ve done it. I just got to go out there and just play my game. I can’t worry about what’s it like, how many games I’m playing. So I know what I need to do and I know what I need to bring to the team.”
Although they've only practiced together a couple times, and shared a line just once during Friday's practice, Lauko feels like Maroon will be a good fit on the fourth line with Boqvist and him, assuming they remain grouped together against Pittsburgh.
“We know our roles," Lauko told The Hockey News. "We know that ‘Patty,’ he’s a physical guy, he’s a strong guy. He’s good around the net. He can hold the puck [and] … go on the forecheck, be first there to win the pucks, and [Boqvist] is the puck carrier. He runs the line, he likes to carry [the] puck. He’s making plays, so I think we have a good combo there.”
Maroon expects his timing to be "horsesh*t" on Saturday, but after working out the kinks, Boston will soon see if the 'Big Rig' it traded for will be what it hopes he can be for the upcoming playoff run.
Other Links:
What Jake DeBrusk Has To Say About New Third Line
‘I Can’t Wait’: Pat Maroon Nearing Boston Bruins Debut
Johnny Beecher, Bruins' Fourth Line Taking on New Challenge From Jim Montgomery