Former Boston Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy was never shy about benching a player or sending a message through the media. It was something he was good at, and generally, the results were good.
Now 14 games into his tenure as head coach of the Bruins, Marco Sturm is quietly following that blueprint. Earlier this year, he scratched forwards Casey Mittlestadt and Marat Khusnutdinov, and the results were positive. Mittlestadt responded with some much-needed production, while Khusnutdinov has been elevated to the first line. He scored his first goal of the season on Thursday night in an overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres.