When the Bruins signed Brett Ritchie in the offseason, it was a move that was not meet with much excitement. The former Dallas Star was coming off a disappointing season in which he recorded six points in 54 games.
With the Bruins still needing help offensively, Ritchie was seen as depth signing at best. When he struggled at times in training camp, his spot on the Bruins roster was unclear. Although the season is far from over, Ritchie made a memorable first impression.
In the Bruins season opener, Ritchie only saw 12:55 of ice time but made it count. Less than two minutes into the game, the veteran winger scored the Bruins’ first goal of the season on his first shot with his new team. It gave the Bruins an early lead that they would never relinquish. On a night that stars such as Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron looked rusty, Ritchie showcased his skills.
Brett Ritchie scores on his first shot as a Bruin…against his former team…69 seconds into the game pic.twitter.com/k0un99ZOD7
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) October 4, 2019
On Ritchie’s goal, he showcased his tenacity by winning a battle for a loose puck. Although he was surprised his shot found the back of the net it showed why the Bruins brought him in. He is not expected to be one of the teams top scorers, but if he continues to play like he did Thursday night, he will be hard to keep out of the lineup.
Last season Ritchie was a healthy scratch 20 times in the regular season and only dressed for one playoff game. He only averaged 39 seconds on the powerplay, which was about a third of the time he received under his previous coach Ken Hitchcock. Wednesday night, in a way, represented a new beginning for the twenty-six-year-old.
After spending his first five seasons with Dallas, this past offseason was Ritchie’s first taste of free agency. The former second pick was part of an exodus of the Stars bottom six that included Jason Spezza and Tyler Pitlick. Last night he reminded his old team of what they were missing.
Although Ritchie excelled last night, his margin for error is small. He was partly in the lineup last night because Joakim Nordstrom and David Krejci are still battling injuries. Ritchie was also able to show his physicality as he landed two hits.
Even with Ritchie’s impressive start, he still has a lot to prove. He came to Boston with a chip on his shoulder, which was evident against his former team. The former second-round pick is looking to become a key piece to this team and got off to a good start Thursday night. For the Bruins they hope this is only the beginning.
