Bruins' Peverley Feels Good In Return
BOSTON (CBS) – It had been six weeks since Rich Peverley last took the ice with his Boston Bruins' teammates, but the right winger said he felt good in his return against the Anahiem Ducks on Sunday night.
"The legs weren't all there and I felt a step behind, but as the game went on I felt better," Peverley said after logging nearly 17 minutes of ice time in Boston's 3-2 win over the Ducks. "(Head Coach Claude Julien) was holding me back a few shifts and that's expected but overall I felt good and feel good now."
Peverley was on the ice for 23 shifts, getting a pair of shots off in his return. He skated next to Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, and nearly scored in the first period off a Bergeron feed, but was denied by the glove of Jonas Hiller.
Julien liked what he saw out of Peverley, and if it wasn't his first game since February 17, thinks Peverley would have lit the lamp on that attempt.
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"You could see his creativity out there. If it wasn't for the rust this guy would have had some points out there tonight," said Claude Julien of Peverley. "He was in the right places and he was doing the right things, but somehow the puck was just rolling off his stick. Or he'd bobble it or whatever. That to me is attributable to not having played for a long time, but he skated well. I liked his energy and I liked his positioning. He handled the ice time well and he was sharper than I expected."
Having Peverley back in the lineup will certainly help the Bruins in the season's final two weeks. His return should provide a spark to any line he skates on, with the B's going 8-10-1 during his absence. His 38 points are still good for seventh on the team.
