"Just to win puck battles, be hard to play against, don't play so conservative, I guess…felt like I was chasing a little bit [during the preseason]. Try to get away from that," said Frederic, who is getting the call with Jake DeBrusk sidelined by an upper-body injury suffered in the season opener against Washington on Wednesday night.
Coach Jim Montgomery is looking for a similar approach, saying that he told the sturdy winger to use his 6-foot-3, 214-pound frame to "go hunting" when he hits the ice as the third-line left wing alongside Charlie Coyle and A.J. Greer.
"For a lot of players when they're thinking too much, you try and give them one or two things to think about," said Montgomery. "And for him, I just told him to hunt and hit, go hunting out there. That kind of mindset gets you on your toes and gets your feet moving and usually impacts the game. And he's had his best practices here, the last three practices in a row. So, I'm excited to see how he goes out and hunts for hits tonight."
Frederic is hoping that his familiarity with Coyle - with whom he spent most of last season - will help him ease right back into the lineup.
"I'm used to playing with Chuck, we're good friends. He makes it easy," said Frederic. "He's a good communicator and he's a great player. He's easy to play with and fun to play with."
With Frederic entering the lineup, Greer will shift over to play the right wing, while Craig Smith will bump up to play alongside Taylor Hall and Patrice Bergeron.
