NHL Notebook: DeBrusk the X-Factor to Bruins offense?

But the last two games underscore just how important DeBrusk is to the vibrancy and health of the Bruins' offense. He struggled through most of December with two assists in 10 games and the B’s averaged a paltry 2.5 goals per game while struggling to a 4-3-3 record over that stretch of time.

Chew on this stat for a bit when it comes to DeBrusk’s offensive importance: The Boston Bruins are 11-2-0 this season when DeBrusk registers a point in a game.

“It started in Buffalo,” said Jim Montgomery, when asked how much Saturday night’s two-point effort helps his confidence. “You can tell…he’s very noticeable. When his speed his noticeable, that’s when you know he’s on top of his game. And he’s doing a lot of little good things.

“That goal he scored [vs. the Devils] is a goal scorer’s goal. Not a lot of people take that to the far post because you’ve got to have courage to do that. That’s a brave play to do that.”

He’s been fully engaged in the last couple of games offensively and Boston has scored nine goals, including a four-goal outburst in the second period in Saturday night’s win where he opened up the scoring binge with a strong net drive after Brad Marchand found him cutting to the cage.

Then DeBrusk set up the power play game-winner when he hit David Pastrnak in stride with a silky sauce pass and No. 88 did the rest with speed and skill attacking the net with a double move. Certainly, it looks like DeBrusk has some chemistry skating the right wing with Marchand and Charlie Coyle in a similar look to last season’s role alongside Marchand and Bergeron, and his teammates all know how important his speed and skill game can be to Boston’s overall offensive attack.

“He’s definitely fun to watch, you know?” said Pastrnak. “For us when he was all around it today and made a great goal. Let’s call it JD’s goal. The last two games he’s been great. He battles hard against Buffalo and got a couple of assists as a reward. Sometimes need that as a player and the kind of player that JD is.

“Obviously it’s been paying off. We’re obviously happy for him because he’s a big part of our team. When he’s on his game like this it’s fun to watch, so hopefully we can keep it going.”

The question now, as it always is with DeBrusk, is exactly how consistent he can be with the 200-foot effort and energy he’s bringing coming out of the break. And if he can continue to push the unresolved contract situation out of his mind with a lot of uncertainty about where exactly he’ll be playing next season, or even if he could become a candidate in a hockey trade if the right deal comes down the pipeline for the Black and Gold.

There continues to be no momentum or even signs of activity in any kind of extension talks as rumors swirl that Jeremy Swayman may be getting a deal done to stay in Boston sooner rather than later.

But that will be a likely storyline for the offseason when it comes to DeBrusk. Right now, it’s about him bringing another dimension to a Boston Bruins offense that became way too reliant on Marchand and Pastrnak for everything during the month of December, something he’s been able to do for a couple of games while showing just how important he can still be to Boston’s formula for success this season.

ONE TIMERS

1. There continues to be a lot of smoke about Noah Hanifin ending up in Boston when he gets to free agency this summer. It would be almost poetic for Bruins GM Don Sweeney to finally land the defenseman he tried so hard to trade up for in the infamous 2015 NHL Draft before selecting DeBrusk, Jakub Zboril and Zach Senyshyn with their three consecutive first-round picks. Senyshyn, by the way, is playing in Germany these days and has six goals and 14 points in 28 games for the Schwenningen Wild Wings.

2. Decent NHL debut for Georgii Merkulov where he paid attention to his details, kept his shifts short and generally focused on playing the 200-foot game rather than cheating at all offensively. He was 3-for-11 in the faceoff circle, however, and joins a number of center candidates including Morgan Geekie that are really having a hard time on the draw. Charlie Coyle and Johnny Beecher are usually pretty solid on draws, but they won just 14-of-51 faceoffs against the Devils. May they need a faceoff specialist-type at the NHL trade deadline as well?

3. Decent showing for Matt Poitras (two goals and a plus-2 rating in three games) thus far at the World Juniors for Team Canada, but it will be interesting to see what he can bring once the team gets to the elimination portion of the tournament.  

4. While a lot of the talk will be about Hanifin, could Chris Tanev be a possibility as a trade target for a Bruins team that could use a gritty two-way defenseman willing to battle around the front of the net? He’s a right shot that doesn’t exactly fit the profile with Brandon Carlo and Charlie McAvoy already on that side, but it would give them a defensive option in certain matchups with Kevin Shattenkirk also on the roster. But in my mind, this team is one hard-nosed defender short on their current roster right now when it comes playoff time.

5. Mack Celebrini is a pretty special player. He’s got two goals and six points in three games for Team Canada and has been the most offensive explosive player for that talented group of players. And he’s doing it at 17 years old as an underage player who also is tearing it up at Boston University as a freshman with 10 goals and 25 points in 15 games for the Terriers. He’s looking like the potential No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft and his tournament performance isn’t doing anything to hurt that standing. What a talent that won’t even be 18 years old when he gets drafted this summer.