No sweat. The team appears to have found a formidable young power forward in the making with 25-year-old Trent Frederic, standing at an imposing 6-foot-3 and weighing 220 pounds.
In the midst of a recent three-game slide, the Boston Bruins faced criticism from head coach Jim Montgomery, the media, and their fans for lacking physicality. Montgomery expressed his concerns on Wednesday, stating,
The team was also faulted for not displaying a collective defensive stance and a stronger team mentality.
This deficiency was notably evident in their 7-4 defeat to the New York Rangers, where Frederic himself endured a two-hander to the head from Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba.
Trouba's questionable play went unpunished by the referees and unfortunately by Frederic's teammates.
However, during the second period of the Bruins' recent encounter with the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night, Trent Frederic took matters into his own hands, defending his captain, Brad Marchand.
With the Bruins holding a 2-0 lead over the Sharks, 13:57 into the second period, Sharks forward Givani Smith targeted Marchand in the corner, delivering a hit square on the numbers.
Despite the inconsistent officiating witnessed throughout the season, Smith received only a two-minute minor for boarding.
Bruins defenseman Derek Forbort tackled Smith to the ice, earning a two-minute minor for roughing. Yet, the Bruins, led by Frederic, weren't finished with Smith.
With just 54 seconds remaining in the middle frame, Frederic sought out Smith and issued a challenge.
Although Frederic initially fell to the ice, he recovered admirably, holding his ground in the altercation.
POLL | ||
Do you think the Bruins need to keep playing like this to win? | ||
Yes | 934 | 85 % |
No | 165 | 15 % |
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