Bruins' Eriksson hears criticism, sticks to his game

WILMINGTON, Mass. -- Out of his Boston Bruins uniform and equipment, forward Loui Eriksson walks through the dressing room and strikes a figure more reminiscent of Stefan Edberg than Terry O'Reilly.

At 6-foot-2, 196 pounds, Eriksson might be a few pounds shy of qualifying as a "big, bad Bruin." But one look at his coat-hanger shoulders and lanky legs completely rules out any chance that Eriksson can rival O'Reilly, Cam Neely or even teammate Milan Lucic in terms of punishing physicality and the stereotype that has characterized the ideal Bruins player for more than 90 years.

Eriksson is not built to punish opposing defensemen on the forecheck or staple combatants to the glass in the corners. That doesn't mean he can't use other means to be effective and make himself invaluable to the Bruins.

Obviously he has found a way during his second season to increase his importance to Boston's fortunes; after 66 games he leads all Bruins forwards in average ice time at 18:19.

Eriksson has played in all but one of the Bruins' games and he has 17 goals and 39 points, seven goals and two points more than he had in 61 games last season. His 2.7 shot attempts relative (SAT Rel) ranks fifth among Boston's forwards. Eriksson's bounce-back sophomore season continues when the Bruins host the Tampa Bay Lightning at TD Garden on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; NHLN-US, TVA, SN360, SUN, NESN).

"That's not really been my game," the soft-spoken Eriksson said about the bruising approach many Bruins stars have taken to the sport over the years. "I've always been trying to have a good stick and try to take away pucks from other guys. That's how I've been playing ever since I came over and [began] playing in the NHL. I don't think it'll change in that way."

Not only has Eriksson had to deal with not fitting the mold of the prototypical Bruins player, he's also had the misfortune of being traded for Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin, who has 31 goals this season and was in the running for the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer before an injury caused him to miss 10 games.

The Bruins acquired Eriksson along with defenseman Joe Morrow and forwards Reilly Smith and Matt Fraser from the Stars in exchange for Seguin, forward Rich Peverley and minor-league defenseman Ryan Button on July 4, 2013.

The glaring differences between Eriksson and Seguin haven't hampered Bruins coach Claude Julien's appreciation of the Swede.

"In his case, I think a lot of comparison is about comparing him to Tyler Seguin," Julien said. "They're two different types of players. Tyler is explosive, he'll score goals, he's exciting to watch. In Loui's case, maybe not so much. He doesn't have that speed and maybe not that exciting side to him, but he's still very useful in a lot of areas.

"The other part is he does a great job at killing penalties. He's a reliable guy. He's a smart guy. And you know he's scored some big goals for us this year. So there's an appreciation for him. The only thing is, like I said, the tough part for him and for everybody, is there always seems to be a comparison [with Seguin]."

Eriksson has always said he can't control what Seguin does and can only play the game his way. He's proven he can be a productive and versatile top-six forward in Boston like he was in Dallas.

He's come a long way since two concussions cost him a quarter of the 2013-14 season. It took Eriksson until after he played a starring role in Sweden's run to a silver medal at the 2014 Sochi Olympics to start to feel like himself again. He had four goals and 17 points in his last 23 games of the 2014-15 regular season, and then had four points in 12 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

In the two seasons prior to 2013-14, Eriksson didn't miss a game. The time off could've taken a toll on him, especially since he was in his first season in a new city and with a new organization.

Loui Eriksson

Right Wing - BOS

GOALS: 17 | ASST: 22 | PTS: 39
SOG: 135 | +/-: 3

Center Brad Richards formed an electric duo with Eriksson for several seasons with the Stars. Richards believed that with health and patience, Eriksson would emerge as a force again, even if his former teammate's talents continued to be underappreciated.

"He's just way smarter and everything he does is underrated," said Richards, who now plays for the Chicago Blackhawks. "He's faster than you think, he shoots it better than you think, he's smarter than you think, he goes to a lot of harder areas than you think. You know it's all about fit. He's still a great player. They play a different style [in Boston], and he's trying to fit in. But I think he's just underrated in every aspect of the game."

Being underrated can also lead to undue criticism from those who don't recognize nuance. Eriksson admitted he hears and reads criticism, but he's learned to roll with it. He's also accepted that his statistics won't be as great as they were in Dallas, where he had three straight 70-plus-point seasons, just because of the difference in the teams' styles of play. Instead of Richards hitting him on the wing every rush, Eriksson has to battle more to retrieve dump-ins by regular linemates Chris Kelly and Carl Soderberg.

Eriksson's linemates never lack appreciation of him. Soderberg's known Eriksson since they were teenagers playing for national teams in Sweden.

"He was fast, he was the same player," Soderberg said. "Like he scored [a lot of goals]. He's really good to make the right plays around the net. I think that's what's his biggest strength. And he's a team player. He works hard in both directions."

Eriksson is on pace to surpass 20 goals. Boston has had three 30-goal scorers in the past three full NHL seasons. The Bruins' top three leading scorers each season under Julien have typically averaged about 27 goals; they've have made the playoffs every season since Julien took over in 2007-08 and they're in position to qualify for an eighth straight season.

It's useless to compare Eriksson to any other player. He's his own man and he's an important part of what the Bruins are trying to do. He's proven he can deal with the comparisons, criticisms and even trade rumors.

As pedestrian-looking as he is off the ice, his laid-back attitude also helps him thrive against unfair expectations.

"Like I said, I've been feeling good. And you look at the ice time I'm getting, they like the way I'm playing," Eriksson said. "There's not really much I can change. That's the type of player I am. Of course I would not make the points that I did in Dallas on this team. It's a different system and everything. So all you can do is try to help the team as much as you can. That's the mentality, to be a team guy."