Bruins' Rinaldo looking to 'add in more hockey sense' to rough-and-tumble game
It's never too late to learn some new tricks.
That's what Zac Rinaldo is hoping to prove, at least.
The feisty forward was introduced to the city of Boston as a new member of the Bruins on Tuesday, and spoke about what he hopes to bring to the club after being acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a third-round draft pick earlier this summer.
"I’m bringing an energy - I’m bringing life every game, home and away," he said, according to Jess Isner of BostonBruins.com. “I’m going to be the rough, tough Zac Rinaldo, but I’m also going to add in more hockey sense."
Rinaldo expanded:
"I’m going to be shooting the puck, I’m going to be blocking shots, I’m going to be creating more opportunity offensively, whether that be for myself or for my teammates - the little shot off the pad here and there can lead to a rebound to get a goal. The smart chip, the smart dump to get a good forecheck - it’s all going to tie into (helping) to win a hockey game.
"So anything I (can) do to offensively bring more of an oomph to it so we can win a game, is what I’ll be bringing.
"I do have those tools in my toolbox - I just have to be given that ice time, be given that opportunity to show those things."
Hockey sense isn't exactly what Rinaldo has become known for since entering the NHL. He missed 14 games due to suspension over the past four seasons, a total that eclipses the number of goals he scored (8).
But he's planning on finding balance in his game, making more positive contributions, and taking fewer penalties.
"(My game) is going to change in a better way for the team," he said. "I don’t plan on getting suspended; that’s the last thing I want to do. I don’t plan on taking stupid penalties; that’s the last thing I want to do, is hurt my team.
"Changing for the better will happen. More opportunity, a different role, perhaps, and I’m open to anything to help the team win."
He also plans to put in work to endear himself to his new teammates.
"These guys probably don’t know me off the ice; they just know me on the ice, and on the ice, they probably hate me," he conceded, "but off the ice, I’m just a down-to-earth guy. I’m just a 25-year-old kid playing hockey that loves the game. As soon as they see me, they can relate to me in any way that they can."
At the end of the day, however, he knows it's head coach Claude Julien he needs to impress most in order to actually play.
A potential fourth-line role awaits Rinaldo, and he'll need to harness that energy for good to take advantage of the opportunity.