The end of the regular season was very rough for Boston Bruins forward James van Riemsdyk. The 35-year-old winger struggled to produce offensively, posting just one assist over his final 20 games. Because of this, he was a healthy scratch multiple times down the stretch.
However, the playoffs offered van Riemsdyk a clean slate, and he is now playing wonderfully at the perfect time. The 2007 second-overall pick has quietly been one of the Bruins’ most consistent players as of late, posting one goal and three assists over his last five games. With that, he is also riding a three-game point streak.
van Riemsdyk was quite impactful for most of the regular season in the Bruins’ top nine. While he struggled deep into the campaign, he still ended the season with 11 goals and 38 points in 71 games. As a result, he clearly had the potential to be a difference-maker this postseason, and he has been.
van Riemsdyk’s goal from here will be to continue to stay hot and provide the Bruins’ bottom six with quality secondary production. If he does, it will only make the Bruins a tougher team to beat.
It’s just nice to see JVR bouncing back and showing the B’s that he belongs in their lineup.