PITTSBURGH – Pat Maroon will make his Bruins debut on Saturday night when the Bruins visit the Pittsburgh Penguins in a primetime matchup at PPG Arena. The veteran winger, acquired from Minnesota at the trade deadline, has not played since late January after undergoing back surgery.
“Quite a bit,” coach Jim Montgomery said when asked what he’ll be looking for out of Maroon. “What he’s gonna bring to the locker room, what he’s gonna bring to the bench, what he’s gonna bring on the ice, what he’s gonna bring to the power play.
“His first game, he’s got to get some rustiness out of his game and that’s why we’re putting him in. Hopefully he can play all three here [remaining games]. That remains to be seen before we start playoffs.”
Maroon said he came out of Friday’s full practice at Warrior Ice Arena and Saturday’s morning skate feeling ready to go.
“I’m excited,” said Maroon. “I’m really excited, actually. I’m really pumped to get going here. It’s gonna be a good test for myself, too. This is a team that’s fighting for a playoff spot. It’s a great game to get into. Get me prepared and ready for the real stuff.
“There’s three games remaining, I’m gonna try to play all three. It’s up to the coaches, too, what they want to do. My goal is to play this game, get through this game first and try to go from there.
“Really just excited to get in the locker room with the guys and go on the ice with them.”
Maroon will play on a line with Jakub Lauko and Jesper Boqvist, two players he’s been able to watch from afar since he joined the team in early March.
“Lauks is just a scrappy forward with a lot of energy, gets underneath guys’ skin. He can hit, he can get in on the forecheck,” said Maroon. “Boqy, he’s got high-end skill. He’s very skilled, very offensive-thinking. I think we can complement each other well with my size, protecting the puck down low, creating some offense, create some space for those two.
“I’m really excited to play with those guys. I think they have a lot of energy, a lot of speed that I can complement, and we can complement each other.”
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