Cole Koepke’s Strong Start Earns Bruins Spot – Hockey Writers – Boston Bruins

Who doesn’t love an underdog story? Yes, players like David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman will always be fan favorites due to their superior skill and star talent, but six underdog players who made an impact on the team are often praised by fans. . In a successful sense, having deep players who have a positive impact on the game is essential to winning Stanley Cups – players like Gregory Campbell, Shawn Thornton and Daniel Paille – the beloved Bruins who helped Boston win the cup back in 2011.

It may only be three games into the 2024-25 season, but Cole Koepke could be the next installment of the Bruins’ fourth-line forwards to earn a spot on the roster and make a legitimate contribution to winning hockey games.

Sixth Round Draft Pick Transformed NHL Player

Cole Koepke’s path to the NHL was not a straight path. After a solid high school career that earned him a commitment to the University of Minnesota-Duluth (UMD), he played two seasons with the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) where he started for the “A” as an alternate. captain in 2017-18. In the summer of 2018, he was drafted in the sixth round (183rd overall) by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. As a late draftee, he didn’t get a chance to join the Lightning off, so he joined UMD.

In three seasons from 2018-19 to 2020-21, Koepke played in 104 NCAA games, scoring 38 goals and 37 assists for 75 points. He was part of the UMD Bulldogs’ 2019 Division 1 NCAA Championship team and played in consecutive NCAA Frozen Fours in 2019 and 2021. ) in 2019-20 when he scored 33 points in 34 games played – his best season of his collegiate career. On April 13, 2021, the Lightning signed him to a two-year entry-level contract – he started his NHL career and finished it in college.

From here, the native of Hermantown, Minnesota spent most of his time in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Syracuse Crunch’s affiliate – Tampa Bay. The 6-foot-1, 203-pound forward appeared in 17 NHL games in 2022-23, scoring just one goal and in nine more games in 2023-24, posting just two assists. In the AHL, however, he buried 49 goals and tallied 51 assists for 100 points in 183 games played with ten extra points in 18 Crunch playoff games. Last season was the last of this two-year deal and he was relieved. On the opening day of free agency, the Bruins signed him to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000.

Hustle & Determination Driving Bruins Fourth Row

During the preseason, the Bruins often give new signings a chance, especially after an offseason in which they lost several offensive pieces. Koepke, 26, took that opportunity and got playing time as a result – scoring and assisting in four preseason games – both of which were 5v5, tying him for the most 5v5 points of any Bruin in the preseason (tied with Patrick Brown, Justin Brazeau , and Georgii Merkulov). Additionally, he had the second most shots on goal and the most recorded hits with 12, tied with Mark Kastelic. His performance in these four games was enough to stay high on the management’s list to play on the motorcycle log, earning him his place.

Matthew Poitras missed the first two games against the Florida Panthers and Montreal Canadiens with an undisclosed injury, meaning there was a spot on the depth chart to fight for. In the season opener, Koepke played well considering a 6-4 loss to Boston. When his line was on the ice, they pressured Florida’s defenders, giving Boston some offensive zone time that came up short. Koepke was instrumental in finding Charlie McAvoy’s goal, giving him a plus-1 rating and recording a single. Even more impressive, when he was on the ice at 5v5, Koepke outscored the Panthers 6-0 – the only Bruin to have a 100% shooting percentage.

Related: Bruins Need to Find Way to Win Against Panthers

It was in the second game against the Canadiens that Bruins fans saw the promise that Koepke would play night in and night out. Boston’s fourth line of Koepke, John Beecher and Mark Kastelic blanked Montreal 3-0 at 5v5, outscored them 6-3, and produced more scoring offense than any other B’s front line expected 0.69 (xGF) . Montreal struggles to deal with the pressure of these threes and the forecheck does a good job of changing the momentum when the Canadiens get their offensive opportunities.

Among all Bruins forwards, no one had a higher xGF than Koepke who had a 1.14 expected goals. Boston outshot Montreal 8-3 on the ice and most importantly – finished the night with three points (one goal, two assists), in only seven minutes and 20 seconds of ice time. His number 45 was visible every time he stepped on the ice and it felt like he played more than 15 minutes with the impact he had on the game.

Against the LA Kings on October 12, Boston had several situations where they were stuck in their zone or had trouble generating pressure in the offensive zone, something that the fourth line corrected by being aggressive in the dump and chasing, hitting. everyone showed up and Koepke was the best at it. His feet are always on the move, making every shift feel important and changing the pace of play for Boston to allow heavier lines to have a stronger chance to score when they come out.

There’s no question that his short-term performance made it almost impossible for head coach Jim Montgomery to remove him from the roster. Playing around Beecher and Kastelic created not only one of the best lines for the Bruins, but one of the best defenses in the entire league. Here are some league rankings for the Koepke-Kastelic-Beecher forward line that played at least 20 minutes 5v5 together.

• Four Goals Scored (T-2nd)
• Zero Goals Against (T-1st)
• 80% Expected Goals Percent (1st)
• 2.00 Expected Goals For (4th)
• 0.50 Expected Goals Against (5th)
• 17 shot attempts (fourth)

Koepke’s Success Will Be Boston’s Asset

As mentioned earlier, having a fourth line that can put up points, make an impact and take any weight off the top six will benefit the team greatly. They won’t be the guys near the top of the scoreboard with goals and points, but they will be hits and blocks. The depth they bring makes it difficult for competing teams as they always have bodies in the face, draining their fuel tanks. It’s important for any team with Stanley Cup aspirations and three playoffs — Koepke is proving he can be one of those difference-makers.