Zboril Looking to Secure A Spot

Boston Bruins 2021 Training Camp is presented by Plymouth Rock Assurance
BOSTON - Jakub Zboril believes this is his best chance yet to secure a spot on the Bruins roster.
The 2015 first-round pick has just two games of NHL experience on his resume, but with the departures of Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug leaving plenty of opportunity on Boston's left side, he's received a lengthy look during training camp.
For much of the first week, the 6-foot, 200-pound blue liner has been played mostly alongside Kevan Miller on the B's third pair. During Monday's scrimmage, he skated with fellow youngster Jack Ahcan.

"It's really important for me," said Zboril. "This is the year that I should be making the step. I'm really focused in every single practice and really digging in to get a chance and get a hold on to it. We'll see where it takes me…I believe in myself a little more, that I know I can be accountable on the ice.
"And I trust myself. I trust my feet to get to spots and know that I can skate. I'm using that asset. I feel like I can battle more in the corners for pucks. That's the biggest improvement in my game."
Miller, for one, has noticed a significant growth in Zboril's game. The duo has seen time together during previous training camps, but this time around Miller has sensed a maturity in the youngster's attitude and ability.
Zboril, who Providence coach Jay Leach said was his best defenseman down the stretch last season, notched 19 points in 58 games for the P-Bruins in 2019-20.
"Jake's a great player. He sees the ice really well. He skates really well, he makes good plays," said Miller. "I think this is the second or third camp in a row that I've been partnered up with him to start. I think he's made leaps and bounds since the first time he got here to where he is now.
"He's competing, he's ready to go for practice. He's a guy that makes sure he is detail oriented. I think that's something that when he first got here was a little bit different. He's learned and done a great job growing with the game. I've really enjoyed playing with him."
The 23-year-old Czech Republic native credited Miller with serving as a mentor since camp began last week.
"Millsy's really good with the younger players," said Zboril. "He's a heck of a leader. Every time I got a chance to practice with him, before every single drill he would come to me, he would say, 'Hey Z this is the drill, stay focused, let's battle, let's not give them one inch of the ice and let's do our best here.' It was really great working with him."

Layers of Separation

Over the last three seasons, Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak have become one of the top goaltending tandems in the NHL. But off the ice, they have also formed a significant bond - a friendship that has, no doubt, translated to their strong performances on the ice.
"Ever since I joined the team two years ago, we really connected on and off the ice," said Halak. "It's been important to have a really good relationship between the two of us. We all know what's at stake. We just want to help the team. That's all it is. He understands it, I understand it.
"Whether it's with me or him, it doesn't really matter. It's a team effort, team game and all we need is to get two points every night and get to the playoffs and win the Stanley Cup. That's the ultimate goal."
That off-ice relationship won't be as easy to foster this year, however, with COVID-19 protocols forcing the Bruins to try to keep their goaltenders as separated as possible. In an effort to avoid both netminders from being forced into a quarantine situation at the same time, the duo has been taking separate meetings and attempting to remain socially distant as much as possible.
"We're trying to separate those two as much as possible in case there's an outbreak," said Cassidy. "That's the part that [stinks] about this for the players in terms of separating guys even though they have good friendships. There's bigger stuff going on with the virus and we have to do it.
"Got to try to get people a little more spread out with doors open. A lot of meeting going on with doors open…doing a lot of the same meetings twice. Sometimes we have to look at that to keep these guys apart.
"Someone from the group could test positive. It's a matter of contract tracing and they're in the same video room for X amount of time, they might say well those guys are out."

Paring It Down

The Bruins are not quite down to their Opening Night roster, but they took their first step on Monday by placing five players - Anton Blidh, Paul Carey, Steven Kampfer, Greg McKegg, and Zach Senyshyn - on waivers. Cassidy believes that a strong competition remains on the back end with two spots available on the left side.
"We haven't completely pegged down our final roster. We waived five guys today and [on Tuesday] we'll get a closer look at taxi squad vs. roster," said Cassidy. "Some of that will revolve around what suits us best for the cap…the biggest battle is on the back end. We have some spots available.
"Right now, we like the progression of [Jeremy] Lauzon, Zboril, and [Urho] Vaakanainen in camp. Johnny Moore is looking healthy again after his shoulder surgery.
"The battle for [David Pastrnak's] spot, who goes up there - I thought Jack [Studnicka] today was all over the ice, had a number of good chances to score."

A Better Start

Ondrej Kase played just six regular-season games with the Bruins following his arrival from Anaheim, before the league was paused due to the pandemic. He then missed all of the summer's return-to-play training camp due to COVID-19 protocols. As such, he is feeling a bit relieved to experience a full camp as he tries to reacclimate himself to the Bruins' system.
"Of course, I was traded here and played only six games and then we played the playoffs and it was different hockey," said Kase, who has been skating with David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk on Boston's second line. "Now we have training camp together and we are doing a very good job actually…we are doing better and better."

Wait, There's More

• Brad Marchand and Craig Smith did not participate in Monday's scrimmage. Cassidy was not asked about Smith's status, but said Marchand was held off the ice as a "precautionary" measure.
• Senyshyn was caught with a high stick during the scrimmage that resulted in the winger needing a trip to the dentist. "Couple of teeth, there was some blood in there, maybe some teeth got dislodged," said Cassidy.

Monday's Scrimmage Lines

TEAM WHITE
FORWARDS
Cameron Hughes - Patrice Bergeron - Oskar Steen
Jake DeBrusk - David Krejci - Ondrej Kase
Nick Ritchie - Charlie Coyle - Zach Senyshyn
DEFENSEMEN
Matt Grzelcyk - Charlie McAvoy
Jakub Zboril - Jack Ahcan
Nick Wolff - Steven Kampfer
GOALIES
Tuukka Rask
Daniel Vladar
TEAM BLACK
FORWARDS
Anders Bjork/Trent Frederic - Sean Kuraly - Chris Wagner
Paul Carey - Par Lindholm - Matt Filipe/Robert Lantosi
Greg McKegg - Jack Studnicka
DEFENSEMEN
Jeremy Lauzon - Brandon Carlo
Urho Vaakanainen - Kevan Miller
John Moore - Connor Clifton
GOALIES
Jaroslav Halak
Jeremy Swayman
Callum Booth
UNAVAILABLE TO PARTICIPATE
Brad Marchand
Craig Smith
Anton Blidh
Karson Kuhlman