Leadership can be defined as a process of continuously influencing human behavior. In the case of the Boston Bruins, adequate leadership has been in question since longtime captains Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron have left the organization. Brad Marchand is the current captain and provides an excellent example of how to bring passion and effort every night, but the Bruins could still use another strong voice in the room. Assistant captains Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak are among the tops in the league at their respective positions, but leading the team comes with heavy responsibility at times.
One of the duties is to face the media and speak on behalf of the team in good times and bad. One player who has shown some signs of a willingness to do that is defenseman Nikita Zadorov. In his first season, the big blue liner brought some physicality on the ice and improved play of late, but it is what he is doing off the ice that is making people pay attention. Zadorov recently spoke about where the team’s mindset is while locked in a dogfight for playoff positioning.
“I’ve said it, we’re desperate,” Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov said Saturday. “We know our desperation level is going to be higher than other teams because of where we’re at in the standings — there are a lot of teams pushing for a playoff spot… We got to put ourselves in a good spot in the standings.”
Zadorov went on to say that making the playoffs and performing in it with Boston is why he is a Bruin to begin with.
“You got to face reality every once in a while, right?” Zadorov said. “I’m not here to miss the playoffs. I’m here to play playoff hockey. I want to see TD Garden buzzing during playoff hockey. I think that’s extra motivation for us, and you guys do a good job of writing us off, which is extra motivation, as well. We have a lot of characters. We have a lot of guys who want to compete every day and play on a big stage. It’s our mindset every day.”
Nikita Zadorov is speaking for a team that has had its ups and downs this season, which has included a coaching change. The former Vancouver Canuck also seemed to stand up for his team by clarifying what happened at the end with former Head Coach Jim Montgomery. “I think it’s wrong to say anything to Montgomery’s back. I’ll just say one thing: what I heard about him, including from Orlov and other people, I didn’t see this season. It was a little different,” said Zadorov of the situation.
Zadorov also spoke glowingly of current interim Head Coach Joe Sacco but admitted that it is on the players to perform. “At the beginning of the season, we played terribly. Then, after the coaching change, we played very well in the first twenty games but then lost six in a row. We’ve now gotten out of that situation and are finding our game,” said Zadorov of the ups and downs this season. “It’s clear that fans and media always have high expectations of the team, and some players find it harder to cope with that pressure.”
The expectations remain high for the team, and Zadorov is confident in his group. What was not expected was the fact that Nikita Zadorov is bringing intangibles to the table that increase his value going forward.
Season 4. Episode 23. Disappointing, Not Devastating – Bruins Benders Podcast
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