Need to Know: Bruins vs. Blackhawks

BOSTON – Not many players get to have a home-cooked meal the night before their NHL debut. Then again, not many players get the chance to suit up for their hometown team.

Fortunately for Riley Duran, he can check both of those boxes.

The Woburn, Mass., native will step onto the ice at TD Garden on Thursday night for his first game in the Spoked-B when the Bruins host the Chicago Blackhawks.

“It’s just a jump for joy, I’m super excited,” Duran, who naturally grew up a B’s fan, said following Thursday’s optional pregame skate at Warrior Ice Arena. “Just honestly a dream come true. It still hasn’t really hit me yet…was just hanging out with my roommate [Joe Abate] in Providence and ended up getting the call and headed out right away.

“I called my dad first and then worked it down to my mom and sister and then all the texts came in. He was shocked. He was pumped though.

“I ended up going home for dinner last night and eating with my family. They were all shocked too, but hard work pays off. Excited to play.”

Duran was selected by the Bruins in the sixth round of the 2020 NHL Draft and spent three seasons at Providence College, before playing 11 games (2-2—4) with the P-Bruins last spring. This season, the 23-year-old forward has tallied 12 goals and 16 points in 58 games for Providence during his first full professional campaign.

“The reports from Providence have been that he’s been a dependable player down there,” said interim head coach Joe Sacco, who added that Duran’s linemates are yet to be determined. “He’s got some pace to his game, he’s got some size, he’s got a good shot. He’s done a lot of penalty killing down there for them, so that’s something that we may involve him in here tonight as well. Apparently, he can get to the inside of the ice, too, which is a good thing.

“It will be a good opportunity for him, he’s a local boy. I’m sure he’s excited. His family, as well, will be excited.”

Sacco added that he hopes that excitement is felt throughout the dressing room as the Bruins aim for their third win in four games.

“Teammates get excited when they have a guy that comes up and he plays, whether it be his first NHL game, grabs his first NHL point, whatever the case may be,” said Sacco. “It creates some energy and some buzz around the room. It’s a different excitement. I think that the teammates are happy for the players when they have an opportunity, especially these young guys that are coming up and trying to show what they can do.”

Duran, who checks in at 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds, acknowledged that the adjustment from college hockey to the professional game has been a “grind” but that the support he’s received in Providence has allowed him to make significant gains through the season.

“I’ve learned a lot, definitely missing some parts of my game that the Providence coaches down there stayed on me [about] and ended up working out,” said Duran. “Been playing good the last couple weeks. Just playing more physical, using my speed. I can skate but sometimes I don’t use it in the right ways all the time. Just using my speed, being physical, winning puck battles goes a long way.

“Everyone [in Providence is] so good to you. They really do have a good support system down there with the coaches, even the older guys. We had an older team this year. Just those guys, they’ll talk you through it. They’ll be honest with you. If it wasn’t for honesty, you wouldn’t get anywhere, right?”

Duran specifically pointed to the uptick in games from 30 at the college level to over 70 at the pro level as a challenge, which makes the focus on taking care of your body even more critical.

“I think that was part of the grind this year was going from 30 games to whatever we play, 72,” said Duran. “That was an adjustment, but you learn from the older guys and you take your time. It’s not like you have to go to class after. It’s focusing on your body and that’s a big part of it.”

Wait, There’s More

• Nikita Zadorov is questionable for Thursday’s game against the Blackhawks as he attends to a family matter. If he is unable to suit up, Ian Mitchell will sub into the lineup. “We’re gonna see how things go with [Zadorov] today,” said Sacco.
• Mark Kastelic (upper-body) and Charlie McAvoy (shoulder) continue to be full participants in practice, though Sacco said neither of them will play again this season. “Just not ready to play,” said Sacco. “The bottom line is where they’re at right now in their process, we feel, and the medical staff feels, they’re just not ready to play these last [three] games."
• After sitting out Wednesday’s practice for a maintenance day, Pavel Zacha took part in the optional morning skate and will play against the Blackhawks. “He should be good to go tonight,” said Sacco.
• The Blackhawks enter Thursday’s game coming off a 5-0 loss to the Penguins on Tuesday night in Pittsburgh. For the season, Chicago is 31^st in the league with a 22-46-10 record and 54 points.
• Connor Bedard leads the Blackhawks with 60 points (20 goals, 40 assists) in 78 games, while former Bruin Ryan Donato paces the club with 29 goals. Old friends Tyler Bertuzzi (21-21—42), Nick Foligno (12-19—31), and Pat Maroon (5-14—19) will also be back in town for the Blackhawks. Maroon announced last week that this will be his final NHL season.