“I think from playing them throughout the year, we kind of know what to expect. But again, I think everybody’s level is going to rise,” Mark Kastelic said. “That just makes it fun, though, and means you have to bring your best pretty much every moment. We’re definitely doing our research and stuff on them, but at the end of the day, we’ll just continue to focus on ourselves and what we can do to bring success.”
Kastelic finished the regular season on a high note, logging three goals and one assist in the last two games. The 27-year-old forward has a career-high 12 goals this season while staying committed to his bruising fourth-line role alongside Sean Kuraly and Tanner Jeannot. Sunday will mark Kastelic’s first time playing in the NHL playoffs.
“I think we have a great diversity of players and a lot of guys that bring a lot of different elements,” he said. “I think that bodes well for us going forward. We just have a lot of character guys; I think this time of year, that’s huge.”
Kastelic and his teammates are embracing the moment. It is, after all, what they have grinded for since the first day of training camp. Boston as a sports city has high expectations, Sweeney acknowledged, and his squad is prepared to battle.
“As a professional athlete, you want the intensity and the pressure,” Sweeney said. “We were playoff-driven. We want to win, we want to be in a position to win, and now we have a chance to do that…We are at the doorstep again, and our group deserves a lot of credit. It is not easy to make the playoffs in the NHL.”
James Hagens has joined the Bruins at the most important time of the year. The 19-year-old forward, who signed his entry-level contract on April 8, skated in the final two games of the regular season. He earned his first NHL point on Sunday in Columbus. Hagens remained on the third line with Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov during Thursday’s practice. The youngsters could all make their NHL playoff debuts together.
Similar to Charlie McAvoy’s route in 2017, Hagens played six games in the AHL before joining the main club. Sweeney said he noticed the attention Hagens was giving to his play away from the puck in Providence, and that the skillset was obvious.
“I thought it permeated around the room. Our guys noticed it right away. Our guys made a point of saying that they thought it was great that [Hagens] decided to go start [in Providence] rather than just assume that he was going to jump into a lineup and help us get into the playoffs,” Sweeney said. “Now it’s a great opportunity, not unlike Charlie a bunch of years ago. He is now an option for Marco if, when and where he wants to play. I think that’s how we had hoped it would play out. But it’s always up to the player to take advantage of the opportunity.”
While there is no doubt that pressure surrounds the playoffs, the Bruins are trying to strike a balance and enjoy this time, too. There was a buzzing energy on and off the ice on Thursday at Warrior Ice Arena – it is because it’s the most wonderful time of the year.
“NHL playoffs are the most special in sports. They’re just a blast to be part of,” McAvoy said. “You don’t want to miss any of these opportunities. This is a great one for us. I think it’s wide open all throughout the league. We’re really excited for this.”