BOSTON — Oliver Wahlstrom had a team-low 9:48 of ice time for the Bruins in their 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night. The newcomer drew a penalty in the third period and it resulted in Morgan Geekie scoring the game-winning goal.
Wahlstrom has only played in two games for Boston since being claimed off waivers, but he hasn’t really stood out just yet. It’s not something interim coach Joe Sacco seems all that worried about.
“I thought he played well the first game. I’m going to have to look at it again, but I thought he was fine.” he said after the game. “He doesn’t get a lot of power play time when we’re on the power play because we have a guy that stays up there. And then sometimes on the penalty kills. He’s not on the PK, so his ice time gets cut a little bit. … But he’s still getting up. He’s getting adjusted to a new team, and it’s going to take a little time.”
Wahlstrom, a New England native, was drafted in the first round by the New York Islanders in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. He was expected to be a strong goal scorer coming out of juniors, but he never quite found his scoring touch.
The 24-year-old joined the Bruins toward the end of their five-game road trip out west, so he’s been adjusting to a new team and a few different time zones over the last week. Wahlstrom will have some time to recharge after Monday when the NHL takes its Christmas break, so perhaps some added rest over the holidays will do him some good.
And if he can provide them with some secondary scoring — an area the team has struggled in over the last few seasons — it will only boost Wahlstrom’s confidence as he continues to acclimate himself to a new team and city.
- BETTING: Check out our MA sports betting guide, where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.
