Jessica Belmosto

It was Whalers night at TD Garden on Tuesday night. The Bruins extended their point streak to 17 after an 4-3 OT win against the Hurricanes. Newly acquired forward, Marcus Johansson left the game in an ambulance but that didn’t stop the Bruins from coming back. David Backes found himself dropping gloves with Michael Ferland. Ferland took out newly acquired forward, Marcus Johansson. This sparked a conversation regarding his concussion history and enforcer-esque behavior.

Backes isn’t a spring chicken. He’s in his thirteenth season and has a long history of concussions. It seems a bit irresponsible to take on the role of an enforcer when your career has been jeopardized by concussions before. Former teammate, Rick Nash’s concussions should be a wake up call not only to Backes but to the league as a whole.

Bruce Cassidy is obviously concerned about this. While it seems to be a one off occasion, could this be Backes’ way of making a statement? With all the young talent, he could possibly be the odd man out. He was scratched for the first time in his career earlier this year. Bruce Cassidy hasn’t ruled that out. If the opportunity arises, I think there’s a possibility he could be scratched again.

As someone who flies under the radar or faces harsh criticism for his lack of production, he needs to give a reason to stand out. However, I do see it as an irresponsible move on his behalf. Based on his postgame comment, he doesn’t seem too bothered.

The role of enforcers has been a never ending topic of conversation this season. While most people are in favor of the role dying out, some people are still very big on it. The narrative of “enforcers win you games” has been demolished thanks to Milan Lucic’s performance in Edmonton. It’ll be interesting to see if Backes takes on the role or takes his health into consideration.