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A different Trent Frederic |
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Entering his fifth season with the Bruins, Trent Frederic had just 12 career goals under his National Hockey League belt.
After struggling to find his game under former coach Bruce Cassidy, Frederic has been a much more impactful player under Cassidy’s replacement, Jim Montgomery.
Already a career high nine goals is all the evidence you need of that.
"I'm playing free, he's just a great guy to be around. He's a great hockey guy. I think we gel well in that," Frederic said. "I could keep going on and on complimenting him, but also my linemates made really good plays. I'm just the guy who gets to put them in right now."
Thursday’s victory in Los Angeles was arguably Frederic’s best game of his NHL career, breaking a third period tie with two goals 34 seconds apart.
"I haven't had anything like that, two goals in a shift. I was actually ready to change after the first one, too much on the celly,” said Frederic. “Lucky enough I stayed out there and got the other one."
Depth at the forward position has been a key driver behind the Bruins dominant 30-4-4 start, Frederic being one of many to reap the benefits of the success that has made its way through the Bruins locker room.
Even when Frederic is not scoring or putting his name on the scoresheet with an assist, he’s doing the little things better than ever and bringing more impactful shifts to the ice each time he steps onto it.
“I think [Frederic’s] maturity and I think his trust in his game and getting more opportunities has allowed his confidence to grow,” said Montgomery. “He’s got nine goals and they’re all five on five goals. It’s not easy to do in this league in the first half of the year.”
Frederic made sure his fingerprints were left on the win beyond his two goals, dropping the gloves with Brendan Lemieux in the second period, the third time the duo has fought.
Jake DeBrusk sidelined
DeBrusk’s two-goal performance in Monday’s Winter Classic victory came at a cost as the forward suffered a fractured fibula and a hand injury, knocking him out of the lineup for four weeks. The Bruins placed him on LTIR.
With 16 goals through 36 games, DeBrusk has been one of the Bruins more consistent forwards. Luckily for the Bruins, they have the depth to replace him on the top line and have enough of a cushion in the Atlantic division to survive without DeBrusk for the month.
Linus Ullmark to represent Bruins at All-Star Game
It’s hard to imagine where the Bruins would be if it wasn’t for what Linus Ullmark has done. Ullmark was rewarded for his work as he was named the Bruins representative in the upcoming 2023 All-Star Game.
This will be Ullmark’s first All-Star appearance.
“It’s kind of surreal. I remember watching it when I was young, as well” Ullmark said. “It was one of the few things we actually taped when I was younger, to watch Peter Forsberg, Nick Lidstrom, Joe Sakic, those guys when they played in the All-Star Game. It was always fun watching it. It’s a little surreal to be here now.”
NHL fans will now decide which Bruins will join Ullmark in Florida, as fan voting is now open and the source for filling out the remainder of the rosters.
Boston Bruins Blogger • 
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