Boston Bruins prospect and Providence Bruins winger Fabian Lysell may have scored the only goal in a 4-1 loss to the Syracuse Crunch on Sunday, but that didn’t really matter to Providence head coach Ryan Mougenel.
Fabian Lysell now has seven goals this season, but his failure to buy into the team game that Mougenel is trying to teach the 20-year-old Swedish prospect has left Mougenel and his coaching staff frustrated. Following the loss on Sunday, the Bruins’ AHL bench boss was asked about Lysell’s progression so far. After seemingly biting his tongue and thinking of a nice way to answer the question, Mougenel had this to say to reporters on the player the Boston Bruins used the 21st pick overall pick at the 2021 NHL Entry Draft on:
“Um. …listen there are a lot of good things that he does. He can create anxiety with his feet. But for Fabian, he has to recognize that sometimes there’s not always a play to be made. I think that’s still in his growth. He’s learning that. I’m not saying that he won’t, but the team game is really important, and he’s got five other guys there. I hate the play in the third period where he’s trying to beat a guy 1-on-4, and that’s the stuff he’s got to get out of his game, and it’s recognizing that. We’re getting into year two here, and he’s gotta start buying in, or he won’t play for Jim Montgomery.”
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The organizational systems and game plans for the Boston Bruins are built on a team game and not individual accolades or shows on the ice. As Mougenel pointed out, Lysell won’t be playing for Montgomery any time soon if he refuses to buy into that. For the Providence Bruins and the Boston Bruins, that needs to happen soon.
“That’s a big part of Monty’s game is the team game and building the team game,” Mougenel pointed out. “A lot of that is possession. You can’t necessarily chip the puck, get it back, expand, and hit the weak side D; you need five other guys to be a part of that, and you have to be connected with a willingness to play that way and until you do, you’re outta here; you’re not in the American League, you’re Jim Montgomery’s problem. Until then, he’s gotta start building that into his game.”
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