BOSTON - Nick Holden knew what he was getting into. When he arrived in Boston late last month following a trade with the New York Rangers, the veteran blue liner was joining a team already stacked with eight defensemen on the NHL roster.
Breaking into the lineup was not going to be immediate - or easy. And whether or not he became a fixture on the back end once he did was not a given, either.
Hold-en Up His End of the Deal
Newly acquired defenseman has fit in well since trade with Rangers
In the end, that is exactly what Bruins general manager Don Sweeney had in mind when he acquired Holden for defense prospect Rob O'Gara and a 2018 third-round pick. Depth and competition are vital for a team looking to maintain through the home stretch.
"He is left side depth for us. He has played power play," Sweeney said following the deal on Feb. 20. "He played a little more of a shutdown role with [Ryan] McDonagh this year [in New York]…we're going to incorporate him into our lineup and see where we go, as well as how well the guys are playing here. I think you have to acknowledge the need for the depth in particular."
Holden has provided that and more during his first few turns in a Bruins uniform. After sitting out the first three contests following the trade, the 30-year-old has made an immediate impact on the back end in the three ensuing contests, tallying an assist in each, while bringing dependability and versatility in various situations.
"When I first got traded here…pretty exciting, energetic team," said Holden. "We like to play fast, transition fast. It's nice that we've got a nice system where you can work from the inside out and that goes from the D-zone into the neutral zone and into the offensive zone. We're not taking a ton of chances to create offense; we're playing the right way. We play fast. It's fun to watch our forwards work."
And with Charlie McAvoy now sidelined for at least the next four weeks with a sprained MCL in his left knee, Holden will take on an even greater role. The left-shot's ability to transition to his off-side will be key in filling McAvoy's void, as it was during Tuesday night's 6-5 overtime win over Detroit.
"I played pretty much the last two years on the right side," Holden said of his time in New York. "Luckily I feel comfortable over there if that's a need to be filled here."
Holden shifted over to the right side next to Torey Krug on the B's second pairing, playing 16:18 against the Wings, while picking up an assist on Krug's first goal just 32 seconds into the game.
"It was good. Obviously [Krug] skates well, moves the puck, sees the ice, so a few D-to-D [passes] and get him going," said Holden, who has eclipsed the 20-minute mark in ice time in two of his three games with the Black & Gold. "Obviously to start the game with a goal was good for our pairing. For the most part we played well."
The tally came off a ricochet of a Holden point shot, something the Alberta native has not been shy to let loose. Over three games, Holden has fired 19 shots at the net, with 11 reaching the opposing goaltender.
"He gets it to the net. He's not overthinking it, he's not trying to make a pretty play or an extra play - something we've needed a little more of," said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. "I think he knows his strengths, 'Hey I can get this through to the net.' He's got a good eye for finding shooting lanes."
Holden's vision has been of particular importance to Boston's second power play unit, which has notched three goals in the three games the blue liner has played. Against Pittsburgh, David Krejci struck for two man-advantage goals in the second period, with Holden a main contributor on both tallies.
On the first goal, Holden took a feed from Jake DeBrusk and flipped a pass through a seam to Krejci down low, where the center buried it by Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry. On the second marker, Holden swung a pass over to McAvoy, whose shot was redirected across the crease by Brian Gionta. Krejci corralled the puck and lifted it over Jarry to complete his hat trick.
"I think it's just in-game reading," said Holden. "Our power play has been doing a good job getting open for each other, getting in position…I don't know if I'd say it has anything to do with me. It's more our power play working hard for each other and making sure we're getting in the right spots so we can snap the puck around fast."
Holden delivered another slick feed on Saturday night against Montreal. With Boston on the power play and down by a goal late in the third, the defenseman spotted DeBrusk planted in the slot and ripped a one-time slap-pass off a dish from Krug. DeBrusk tipped home the pass to tie the game, which the Bruins won on Brad Marchand's overtime tally.
"I think it's reading where I was at on that play," Holden said of deciding on when to pass or shoot on the power play. "Their D was kind of coming out and I didn't even see their second guy. Luckily it got by that stick too. [Krejci] was kind of open on the side of the net there. It's just reads. Jake did it on the last goal, Krejci on the other. They're working hard to get into position to give guys outs and get in scoring position."
