His nickname is “Hammer.” Obviously. Because when your first name is Hampus, and you’re 6 feet 4 inches and 215 pounds, going from Hampus to Hammer is just the natural progression of things.
After what we saw in the return of Hampus Lindholm to the lineup Saturday in the Bruins’ 3-1 trimming of the Rangers, perhaps “Velveteen Hammer” would better befit the Bruins’ newest blue liner.
Back in the lineup for the first time in nearly three weeks, the quick-thinking, velvet-handed Hammer submitted a collection of plays critical to the matinee win over the visiting Blueshirts.
Granted, none of those moves put his name on the scoresheet, which is often the case for defensemen, but they were as central to the victory as the goals by David Pastrnak, Taylor Hall, and Trent Frederic, and the top-shelf goaltending of Linus Ullmark (30 saves).
“I mean, the first shift of the game,” recalled Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy, “I think it was Lindholm in front of our net, throws a little sauce [pass] into the middle and we’re gone . . . it’s a 3-on-2 . . . Those are the plays that some defensemen are capable of making in this league and some are not . . . and that’s going to change the dynamic [of the offense], the way he moves the puck.”
Et voila. Things are different back there now. Much different.
The Boston back line with Lindholm aboard, particularly from a puck movement and offensive flow dynamic, makes for a dimension we have not seen here for a very long time, going as far back as the Ray Bourque era.
It’s emphatically different than anything the Bruins have enjoyed since Cassidy took charge of the bench in February 2017, when then-team captain Zdeno Chara still defined the Black-and-Gold defense more as a shutdown, broad-shouldered unit than a back line that could wheel with the puck, make some magic.
The No. 1 pairing going forward here for years could be Lindholm on the left and Charlie McAvoy on the right, as it was Saturday. It was a key play by Lindholm that led to the first goal of the afternoon by Pastrnak, who sniped home a backdoor pass from McAvoy off the rush. The charge up ice was triggered by Lindholm first keeping the puck form Artemi Panarin deep in Boston’s end, his pass triggering the break out up the left side.
“Well, I skated with him the last 2½ weeks,” said a smiling Pastrnak. “So I’ve seen plenty of that in one-on-ones — he’s obviously a great puck mover, and his [breaking out of] pucks is outstanding.”
Lindholm, Pastrnak, and Ullmark were back after unexpected long stays on the injured list. Pastrnak went out March 4, followed by the Hammer on March 5, only days after he was acquired from Anaheim at the trade deadline. Ullmark was sidelined nearly 10 days, hit by a shot off the facemask.
“Hammer is just such a skillful and smart hockey player,” noted Ullmark, a fellow Swede. “So he makes it look easy when it’s not, you know?
“If it’s like a small pass up the middle, or breaking out pressure, defending 2-on-1′s . . . He’s just very good at reading a play and making opponents make mistakes. And then just playing fast right after it.”
Another of Lindholm’s sparklers came around the 12:30 mark of the second period, the Bruins already with a 2-0 lead off of a Hall strike. Lindholm was the lone blue liner back for a two-man Blueshirt attack, and he used a skateblade to disrupt Panarin’s feed across the low slot that looked destined to produce New York’s first goal. Instead, Ullmark was left to handle the puck as it ricocheted off Lindholm’s skate. Threat erased.
It was Lindholm again, with just under 2:00 remaining in regulation, who prevented a Panarin shot from in close from going by Ullmark with the Rangers attacking 6-on-5. He has that knack, that awareness, to be in the right spot at the right time, the trademark that has made Patrice Bergeron one of the most subtle, elite players in the NHL. The Hammer’s got a good head on him.
When Bourque left town some 20 years ago, the Bruins first tried to recapture backend presence with the failed experiment that was Paul Coffey, brought in briefly as bandage on the power play, and quickly pointed to the retirement line.
When Chara came to town in 2006, the emphasis grew to be size, weight, and intimidation. It worked well, eventually with fellow sequoias, such as Adam McQuaid and Dennis Seidenberg back there, along with the heavy-hitting Johnny Boychuk.
The downsized but talented Torey Krug brought large doses of offense and overall puck movement, but his main contribution was as a power-play specialist (still absent here).
The Hammer’s role will be broader, and should be more impactful, his skill set perhaps not as dynamic as what McAvoy brings, but he’s more valuable than Krug or anyone else Cassidy can pair with the franchise’s No. 1 defenseman.
“It shouldn’t change where he’s with Charlie or [Brandon] Carlo, to be honest,” said Cassidy, noting Lindholm’s consistent puck-moving skill. “I think the initial first pass, I think you’ve seen with Hampus a noticeable difference in our group when he’s in our lineup.”
He’s the Velveteen Hammer, he’s quick, quiet, smooth, and efficient. He’s the added piece that should lead to a lot of change.
Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at kevin.dupont@globe.com.
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The return of Hampus Lindholm shows an exciting glimpse of Bruins' future - The Boston Globe
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