Boston goal!
Scored by John Beecher with 16:15 remaining in the 3rd period.
Assisted by Andrew Peeke and Jesper Boqvist.
Boston: 4
Philadelphia: 2#PHIvsBOS #NHLBruins #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/ZLiAl35wCQ— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 17, 2024
Andrew Peeke, the Boston Bruins’ recently acquired defenceman, is doing well so far.
Since being acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets just before the NHL Trade Deadline on March 8, the 25-year-old, 6-foot-3, 214-pound defenseman, who was 34th overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, has settled in nicely as a stay-at-home third-pairing defenseman. After sitting out the first two games following the trade, Peeke returned to the lineup this past Thursday in Montreal for the Bruins’ 2-1 overtime victory over the Canadiens. Peeke (17:01, 22 shifts) seemed at ease playing on the right side of the Bruins’ third pairing with Parker Wotherspoon on the left.
On Saturday night, in the Bruins’ wild 6-5 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers at TD Garden, Andrew Peeke looked even better, finishing with an assist, one shot, five hits, and two blocked shots in 22 shifts and 19:31 TOI.
Former Boston Bruins winger and five-time Stanley Cup champion Mark Recchi believes Peeke will continue to fit in with the Bruins and their system. Recchi, who joined the Columbus Blue Jackets as an assistant coach this offseason, got to know Peeke both as a player and as a person.
“Great teammate and person!” Recchi recently provided Boston Hockey Now with a quick text scouting report. “He’ll fit in wonderfully with the Bruins culture. Solid bottom pair, D-man. Blocks shots. skates good. “Great PKer.”
Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery liked what he saw from Peeke in Montreal enough to put him back in the lineup on Saturday, and he is now part of the Bruins’ suddenly deeper blue line. As Montgomery stated before to Saturday night’s game, Peeke will need to improve his fit in order to win a more regular spot in the lineup.
“Everything will be earned,” Montgomery told reporters on Saturday morning. “He played well in the previous game and demonstrated a lot of potential, so he deserves to play in the upcoming one. We currently have eight defenseman, and that’s how it will be: if you play well, you’ll stay in the lineup.
Following the game on Saturday night, the defensive-minded defenseman was asked about his nifty feed to rookie center John Beecher in front for his sixth goal of the season, which put the Bruins up 4-2 3:45 into the third period.
“You need to discover your pockets. “Find your holes,” Peeke responded. “This club has a lot of skilled players, including skilled defensemen who can jump up in the rush. If the lane is available, simply find it and use it.
He will need to continue to locate such openings while also maintaining his generally defensive-minded style if he is to defeat offensive-minded veteran defenseman and 2021 Stanley Cup champion Kevin Shattenkirk, but for now, Peeke is grateful for the opportunity to show himself to his new team.
“Coming here so quickly, you’ve got to learn a couple of things,” Peeke told reporters. “But everyone is welcoming. Once you’ve found your footing, every day brings something fresh. You keep going. It’s wonderful to be thrown into the fire a little bit and not have to think too much.”
