Kalman: Joe Cool Morrow Could Be Calming Influence On Bruins' Back End
BOSTON (CBS) -- Early in training camp, Bruins coach Claude Julien alluded to the idea that he would retain eight defensemen at the start of the regular season as the Bruins adapt to a tweak in their breakout plan and also learn to live without Dougie Hamilton.
Wouldn't you know that the Bruins have cut down to eight defensemen, including the injured (and famously day-to-day) Zdeno Chara. Although the Bruins don't have to finalize their roster until 5 p.m. Tuesday, the current group of defensemen looks like the one Julien will have at his disposal on opening night against the Winnipeg Jets at TD Garden on Thursday.
That means Joe Morrow, who had a 15-game stint in the NHL with Boston last season, has made the post-training camp roster. But don't expect Morrow to do any public celebrating or boasting. The 22-year-old native of Edmonton might not have the nickname "Joe Cool" just yet, but his appearance and his play should earn him that moniker soon.
"I remember, you know, complimenting him on being calm and not getting rattled," Julien explained early in training camp when asked about Morrow. "And yet, as much as that's a strength sometimes it can be a weakness too. You want him to be a little bit more, not so maybe high-risk at times, but you know there's good portions to that."
If you're looking for someone to get frantic out on the ice, Morrow's not your man. He's not going to slam his stick or give the opponent an edge by losing his cool. His moment of Zen comes every time he steps onto the ice.
"Every day, every minute I'm out there having a blast and it's always fun for me," Morrow said. "It's something that I've just grown up with and kind of accepted and everybody that's dealt with me and seen me in the past has kind of accepted it as well."
He's dealt with criticism from coaches and others about looking aloof on the ice, but Morrow has produced a solid career doing things his way. He had one goal for his only point with the Bruins last season. He had three goals and 12 points in 33 games for the Providence (AHL) farm club. The prior season, he showed more of the offensive flair teams have been searching for when he had 29 points in 56 games for the P-Bruins. Morrow was a 2011 first-round draft pick of Pittsburgh and he had 64 points in 62 games in his last season of junior hockey with Portland in the WHL.
Coaches are always talking about their teams needing a calming influence. That's why the Bruins should embrace Morrow's attitude. With Hamilton gone to Calgary and Dennis Seidenberg out eight weeks after back surgery, the Bruins can't afford to exclude a talented defenseman because they're not fond of his demeanor. On a young defense corps, Morrow could be the type of player that helps the team keep its wits when the pressure rises.
Julien and his staff have clearly gotten comfortable with Morrow now that they've learned more about him. He's been used in all situations, including penalty kill, during the preseason. With a little nurturing from the coaches and experience, Morrow feels like his game is blossoming.
"I do feel a little bit better [than last season]. I feel like I can try and contribute more to the offense side of things, take a little more ownership on that side of my game and just play with a little more confidence and not be afraid to make a mistake," Morrow said. "Now it's to that point where you will make a mistake, it's kind of inevitable in that sense. So as long as you can make up for those and do a lot more good than you are bad then you'll definitely benefit the team. So that's what I'm trying to focus on."
It's easier to focus when you're not panicking, and Morrow knows the key.
"I just keep telling myself it's a simple game," he said.
It's probably appropriate that off the ice Morrow's blond locks and beard make him look like a "Hang 10" surfer dude. As long as his laid-back style doesn't cause the Bruins to wipe out, his calming presence will be welcome on Boston's back end.
Matt Kalman covers the Bruins for CBSBoston.com and also contributes to NHL.com and several other media outlets. Follow him on Twitter @TheBruinsBlog.