“I don’t expect that to change. Seids is one of those guys that just never seems to get tired. We’re the ones having to pull him back, because constantly, every day, he wants to work a little harder and harder. We’re definitely pleased with those two, and they’ve been big players for us in big games. They stepped up at the right time. So we hope that continues.’’
The No. 2 defenseman has vaulted himself into the Conn Smythe Trophy conversation as the league’s playoff MVP. Seidenberg started the playoffs as a second-pairing defenseman alongside Tomas Kaberle.
But after a 3-1 Game 2 loss to Montreal, when the Bruins bosses decided they needed a shutdown duo, they paired Seidenberg with Chara. The Bruins have been 12-4 since. For Julien, rolling out Seidenberg and Chara and expecting results has been easier than clicking his laptop’s shutdown button.
Seidenberg is averaging 28:22 of ice time per game in the playoffs, nearly five minutes more per game than he played in the regular season.
He leads the Boston defensemen with one goal and seven assists in the postseason. Seidenberg has blocked 55 shots, most of any player in the playoffs. Eight of those came in the Bruins’ 1-0 Game 7 win over Tampa Bay.
“I think he had the best game I’ve seen him play,’’ general manager Peter Chiarelli said the day after that Game 7. “He was a horse. Then you couple him with Z, and you’ve got a tremendous shutdown pair.’’
Last year, the Bruins were without Seidenberg for their postseason run. On April 3, 2010, Seidenberg’s season came to an unexpected halt. That night at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre, Seidenberg had his left arm cut by the skate blade of Nikolai Kulemin. Seidenberg was called for boarding on the play, but he was allowed to leave the penalty box for treatment when his arm didn’t stop bleeding. Seidenberg required surgery to repair a torn tendon. As the Bruins were battling the Flyers, he was still with the team but in midsummer workout mode.
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