It looks as though the Bruins, winners of three straight, have shaken off the stupor, and especially their nightly dog’s breakfast on defense, that last month saw them lose six in a row and seven of eight.
immediately back to .500 (7-7-0) after Saturday’s 2-1 trimming of the Hurricanes, their biggest improvement has been behind their own blue line, due largely to the return of versatile veteran Hampus Lindholm.
Then there’s Jonathan Aspirot, who barely registered a raised eyebrow among the Black & Gold fan base when training camp opened in mid-September. An unheralded free agent signing in July, the all-but-unknown Aspirot, 26, has been a stout, effective addition to the backline the last three games — the first three NHL games of his lengthy pro career.
Aspirot’s contribution has been simple, straightforward, and most of all, clean. He has not contributed a point on offense. He has not so much as landed a shot, though he launched three that didn’t banger the net. Yet in some 45 minutes of total career ice time, his smart, effective defensive game has helped shake the blues out of the blue line crew.
“The way we want to play in our back end, I think fits him perfectly,” noted coach Marco Sturm after Saturday’s win. “He closes quick, has a good stick … and that solves a lot of problems.”
Never drafted during his three years of playing for Moncton in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, Aspirot turned pro with AHL Belleville as a Senators prospect in the fall of 2019. Upon signing with Boston in July (for a $225,000 guarantee) as defensive depth, he had played in 292 AHL games. He never touched NHL ice until Sturm dropped him into the lineup last Tuesday for his debut vs. the Islanders.
His AHL duty included four years as a Senators prospect in Belleville, followed by two seasons as a Flames wannabe. The latter tour began with an AHL tryout invitation.
A lot of prospects, six years into a pro career and without a single NHL dollar earned, would start to consider career alternatives such as playing in Europe or finding work that didn’t include pulling on skates and chasing after maybes and what-ifs on a slippery 200-foot patch of ice.
“Of course,” acknowledged a smiling Aspirot after Saturday’s win, “but you always try to believe in yourself, you’ve got to believe in your dream. If you start doubting yourself, that’s when things start to go downhill. I always believed in myself, that one day I’d be able to play one game in the NHL and immediately I am super happy it happened.”
The decisive, sure-handed Aspirot will be back for career game No. 4 when the Bruins resume work Tuesday night in Elmont, N.Y., vs. the Islanders.
He’s been the opener
Casey Mittelstadt’s third-period goal on Saturday was his third game-opening strike of the season (following those on Oct. 9 and Oct. 23), ranking him first on the club. He scored all three on home ice. The Bruins are 5-4-0 when scoring first.
Lindholm logs another
Lindholm logged an effective 21 minutes, 57 seconds vs. the Hurricanes, marking the first time this season he suited up for three consecutive games. Thirty-nine seconds of his time on ice were logged on the club’s lone power play and one minute was on the penalty kill.
Shots in short supply
Despite winning three straight, the Bruins were outshot in each of those victories, by an aggregate 104-66. They never trailed in wins over the Sabres and Hurricanes, marking the first time this season they accomplished the feat in consecutive games. They logged a collective 59:51 in lead time in those two wins and awoke Sunday ranked fifth in aggregate time playing from behind (316:13).
The four clubs forced to play uphill even more: Ottawa, Minnesota, Calgary, and St. Louis. Their combined record: 15-27-9 (.382).
Struggling in St. Louis
St. Louis coach Jim Montgomery, fired by Boston Nov. 19 with the Bruins scuffling along at 8-9-3, is having another rough early-season ride. His Blues are 3-7-2, ranked 31st (.333) in the Original 32. The Blues’ minus-17 goal differential is second only to the Flames (minus-18) for worst in the league. The Blues last season stood 9-12-1, ranked 25th in the overall standings, when they fired Drew Bannister and hired Montgomery.
In good company
No. 1 Bruins backliner Charlie McAvoy had two assists vs. the Hurricanes. He has yet to score a goal, but his 10 assists for the season tied him for sixth (as of Sunday morning) in points among NHL blue liners. The leading five: Cale Makar (18), Adam Fox (11), Jake Sanderson (11), Josh Morrissey (11), and Lane Hutson (11). All have at least one goal, with Fox and Sanderson connecting for one on the power play.
Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at kevin.dupont@globe.com.
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