Boston Bruins: Searching for the Real Benoit Pouliot

When Boston Bruins forward Benoit Pouliot dangled Montreal Canadiens defenseman Chris Campoli and penetrated Carey Price―his former teammate who was chosen one slot behind him in the 2005 NHL draft―he slashed a season-worst 15-game goal drought.

Subsisting in part on his overdue contribution, the Bruins proceeded to survive Montreal’s third-period rally and claim a 4-3 shootout decision, a win that was far more needed than it was deserved.

Pouliot has largely personified the course of his new team in his first season as a Bruin, their latest game being no exception. Leading up to Wednesday night’s bout at the Bell Centre, he had sandwiched roughly two months of sound performances with two slices of musty, white Texas toast.

In addition to the aforementioned 15-game goalless skid, Pouliot’s latest strike ended an eight-game production hiatus, which matched his string of eight pointless appearances throughout October.

During each of his two separate struggles, Boston has not so much as mustered a single pair of back-to-back victories.

After sprinkling a pair of goals over the course of early to mid-November, Pouliot finally turned up the turbine two nights after Thanksgiving. For the next 25 games, he charged up a respectable 6-9-15 scoring log, only twice going more than three consecutive outings without any input.

But starting and ending with the last two meetings with his old allies from Montreal, Pouliot has mustered a sparse three points over a span of 16 games. In his last six ventures, his plus/minus rating has steadily slipped by three points.

Not even his goal, which upped his season total to nine, could save him from finishing in the red Wednesday night. He restored the Bruins’ lead to 2-1 at the 5:07 mark of the second period, but not before his power-play unit surrendered Mathieu Darche’s equalizer less than four minutes prior.

Pouliot’s line was on defensive duty again when Max Pacioretty sliced a 3-1 Boston advantage in half with 16:26 to spare in regulation. From there, the Bruins were decisively outshot, outhit and out-disciplined, as the Habs ultimately drew a 3-3 knot to force overtime.

The two-point package would only be salvaged in the shootout, courtesy of top gun Tyler Seguin and goaltender Tim Thomas, who like the bulk of the team, have been less than radiant in regulation action of late.

But for the Bruins and Pouliot alike, the averted debacle and the terminated drought at least offer a tangible foundation for the rest of what will likely be a road trip of hardship. Pouliot, in particular, will inevitably be impelled to step up with both Nathan Horton and Rich Peverley out of commission indefinitely.

For what it’s worth, Pouliot has already had some decent fortune against Boston’s next adversary from Winnipeg. He recorded his first assist as a Bruin and started his 25-game, 15-point ride in a Nov. 26 tangle with the Jets at TD Garden. He ended that run in the same matchup on the same pond on Jan. 10, when he scored his first and only power-play goal of the year.

Until Wednesday in Montreal, that was also his last goal, period and his only tally since Christmas.

With their depth chart on its thinnest sheet of ice to date, the Bruins cannot wait for Pouliot to soak in a second wind. They do not necessarily need him to instantaneously perform like the fourth overall draft pick that he once was, but they should hold him to the same standard as each of their top-six regulars.

For him, it should not matter whether or not general manager Peter Chiarelli can inject any new depth at the deadline.

Mark Recchi and Michael Ryder are no longer walking through that door. It is high time for another former Canadien to have his turn bolstering Boston’s cause.