BOSTON — Tuesday was Brandon Carlo’s 28th birthday.
The Boston Bruins’ longest-tenured defenseman laced ‘em up for his 577th NHL game with the only pro organization he’s ever known. He took his spot, as always, on the right side of the second defensive pairing and went about his business of trying to deny the Vancouver Canucks from entering the offensive zone and getting shots off on goaltender Jeremy Swayman.
The gregarious 6-foot-5, 220-pounder is one of the more well-liked guys in the Boston locker room. He’s at his best when he does his job without fanfare: blocking shots, maintaining gaps, sealing off lanes for enemy forwards to cut through. He owns two dogs, a Bernese Mountain dog and an English bulldog who have their own Instagram account.
But his play, at least through almost two months of the current season, has not been up to the standard he’s previously set.
Carlo’s focus isn’t contributing on the scoresheet, but occasional offensive production would be nice. He entered last night’s contest against Vancouver without a point in his last 18 outings — after popping in a goal and dishing out two assists in Boston’s first four games.
With a career plus/minus rating of +121, his minus-6 to date is disappointing. At peak efficiency he can used for up to 20 minutes a night, so his 18:33 average through the first quarter of the current campaign is also dissatisfying.
According to National Stat Trick, Carlo’s Corsi For rating is just 46.03 percent (topped only by his career low 43.12 last year), and the Bruins’ Scoring Chances For (SCF) are only 44.02 percent, lowest of his nine-year pro career.
One aspect of Carlo’s game that remains intact is his toughness. When he was cross checked in the back of his head by Stars captain Jamie Benn two weeks ago in the first period of a game in Dallas, the worst was feared. Instead, he returned after the period and, at least outwardly, seemed no worse of the wear. Considering his regular partner, Hampus Lindholm, is on injured reserve with a lower body injury, Boston could ill afford to be without Carlo as well.
He’s been through the wars in his time in Black-and-Gold. Many a valuable lesson was learned, both on and off the ice, from being former captain Zdeno Chara’s partner in his first few years in the league. Carlo has been to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final with Boston, protects his teammates at moment’s notice, and has really known nothing but success — at least in the regular season — every since he entered the league.
Perhaps Carlo’s game will trend upwards after Boston’s recent coaching switch from Jim Montgomery to interim head coach Joe Sacco. Maybe he’s just settling into the long grind ahead, pacing himself to avoid injuries that have felled him in the past. Perhaps the team’s slow start was infectious and affected his ability to be at his most effective.
Carlo still has several good seasons of being an effective presence on the Boston blueline. But it would behoove him to find his rhythm and get back to playing the style that’s made him both popular and productive in the Hub of Hockey.