For Bruins, Hall's Impact Has Been Immediate

BOSTON - Taylor Hall's impact on the Bruins since arriving from Buffalo at the trade deadline is hard to overstate. The winger has helped transform Boston's top six, teaming up with David Krejci and Craig Smith to give the B's a dual threat in tandem with the No. 1 trio of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak.
Hall's dynamic blend of speed, skill, and power has given Krejci a high-end scoring threat to distribute the puck to, while helping to jumpstart Boston's offensive game, particularly at even strength. In the 17 games following Hall's acquisition, the Bruins ranked third in the NHL in goals scored with 58 - 43 of which came at 5-on-5, ranking second.
Before Hall's arrival, the Bruins were 30th in the NHL with just 63 goals at 5-on-5.

"I think, mainly, it really solidified some more depth in the offensive position of need where we're getting a little more production 5-on-5," said Bruins president Cam Neely. "Now teams are not just looking at the Bergeron line, but now they've got to look at Krejci's line, and even, whether it's [Charlie] Coyle or [Sean] Kuraly, [Nick] Ritchie - those guys have chipped in recently."
Since the April 12 deadline, Krejci (6-15-21), Hall (8-6-14), and Smith (5-5-10) have combined for 19 goal, while helping to guide Boston to a league-best 12-4-1 record and 25 points during that span.
"It's obviously been a good transition for me," said Hall. "I spoke about this before, there's really good leadership in our dressing room. There's a way that the Bruins play, and I always felt like even when I wasn't on this team, I felt like that was the style of play that I could come and play well in and perform well.
"And I feel like I've had a positive impact. It's important for me personally on an individual level to try and maintain that impact in the playoffs because ultimately, that is our goal here."

Neely, likewise, believes the core group of Bergeron, Marchand, Krejci, and Tuukka Rask has set a perfect example for Hall, Lazar, and Mike Reilly - and every player that the Bruins have acquired over the years - when it comes to setting the right tone and expectations in the dressing room.
"We're blessed with the leadership that we have and have had for years," said Neely, who added that the club would "like to get something done" when it comes to a contract extension with Hall, an unrestricted free agent after the season.
"It really starts with how we want players to play, how we want players to act, how we want players to be in the community. You may want all that, but you may not get those types of players.
"Fortunately for us, we have that in spades. Everybody buys in. When your best players are also your hardest workers, it's hard not to buy in. and if you don't, you're not here very long."
Following his two-goal performance on Monday night against the Islanders - which included a dazzling overtime winner - Hall spoke glowingly about Marchand, in particular, and how watching the Hart Trophy candidate on a nightly basis helped to inspire and motivate him as he regained his confidence after a disappointing tenure with the Sabres.
"When I watch a guy like Marchand play and the things he does out there, I think that was a really great thing for me, to watch him play," said Hall. "To see how hard he is on pucks, to see how many times he gives a second effort to get a puck back or make a play on D or on offense. He's been a guy our whole roster feeds off of.
"For me personally, to see how he plays, I know I can play a similar style. It's almost like you watch someone do it, and then you're like, 'OK, I can do that.' That was a little thing. Obviously playing with Krech and Smitty, I think right off the bat we had a lot of chemistry. It helped that some goals went in to start my time here, and sometimes that's all you need."

Marchand had similarly high praise for Hall, noting how impressed he has been not only with the former first overall pick's talent, but also the smaller details in his all-around game, as well as how he has fit in off the ice.
"Unfortunately, I had to play against Hallsy for a lot of years before he came here," said Marchand. "Obviously we knew what kind of a player he was and how gifted and talented he was…Laser said it [recently], he's rejuvenated. He's excited to be here and be part of a group like this. What I love seeing about his game is his details. He's committed to taking care of pucks and backchecking. He's made a lot of great defensive plays. He's finished his checks. He's good in his routes and stuff like that.
"We're luck to have him. Off the ice, he's an awesome teammate and great guy and we're happy to have him here. Feel very fortunate. When we saw that he was traded here, we were so excited that he was gonna be coming to the group and we knew that he was gonna make a huge difference. You can tell he has the confidence right now."

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Thursday's Practice Lineup

FORWARDS
Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - David Pastrnak
Taylor Hall - David Krejci - Craig Smith
Nick Ritchie - Sean Kuraly - Charlie Coyle
Jake DeBrusk - Curtis Lazar - Chris Wagner
Trent Frederic/Karson Kuhlman
DEFENSEMEN
Matt Grzelcyk - Charlie McAvoy
Mike Reilly - Brandon Carlo
Jeremy Lauzon - Kevan Miller
Jarred Tinordi - Connor Clifton
GOALIES
Tuukka Rask
Jeremy Swayman