Bruins Riding Success of Unlikely Hero

By Matt
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Updated: May 6, 2010

Miroslav Satan currently leads the Bruins in postseason points

Halfway through the 2009-10 season, the Boston Bruins were struggling to keep pace in the Eastern Conference, and their playoff hopes were questionable. While the team battled injuries to stars like Marc Savard and Milan Lucic, they looked to add some depth mid-season with the signing of veteran forward Miroslav Satan.

Satan, coming off a year in which he won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins, had spent the last half of 2009 unemployed. His addition to the Bruins was that of depth, secondary scoring, and veteran leadership. He fulfilled all of those roles, picking up 9 goals, 5 assists, and finishing plus 8, through 38 games.

After squeezing into the six seed in the Eastern Conference, and heading into the playoffs, Satan embraced a new role with the Bruins. His playoff experience the previous season helped prepare him to step up his game this season, taking it to a new level. That’s exactly what has been done too.

First, Satan quietly picked up 5 points against the Buffalo Sabres in the opening round which included the eventual game winner and series clincher. Since then, he’s scored goals in the next three games, marking a four game goal streak, as well as a six game point streak, and points in seven of nine games this postseason. His ten points lead a Bruins team that has already beaten one of the NHL’s elite goaltenders in Ryan Miller, and are now cruising past a tough Flyers squad.

With a spot in the Eastern Conference finals nearly secured, and injuries continuing to pile up, the Bruins are going to need Satan to continue picking up the points. His role of depth player and secondary scorer during the regular season, have been molded into leader and primary scorer in the postseason. If the Bruins are to have any chance at dismantling the Canadians or, more than likely, the Penguins, Miroslav Satan will have to continue his timely success.