from Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe,

This year, Cassidy wants his players to make an on-ice read. The 1-2-2 will remain available. But if possible, Cassidy has instructed his charges to play a 1-1-3: the first forechecker driving hard, F2 in a support role, and the third forward alongside the two defensemen. It’s meant to address what Cassidy considered one of last year’s weaknesses: the second layer backtracking instead of going up the ice....

“From an individual standpoint, it helps me so much,” Krug said. “I get picked on for my defensive abilities. But I was never allowed to shut down plays before they could happen. It was to receive the rush. That worked for a long time. We had good defensive players who could do that. But it wasn’t good for me. Now I can use my skating ability to defend. I can shut down plays at the blue line before guys even get into the defensive zone. I can do those things and do it my ability. From a team standpoint, as long as we’re not reckless, we’ll be in a great situation. We saw guys getting more comfortable with that as the season went on as Bruce came in. It’ll become a strength of our team.”...

When they opt for the 1-1-3, the Bruins will be closer to the opposing net. It will be encouraged for the defensemen to have their heels in center ice instead of their own zone. Gaps will be tighter. The shift corresponds with the movement around the league toward faster and more aggressive play.

“There’s an emphasis to get up, not only to support the rush, but also for turnovers and to be able to close quicker,” McQuaid said. “I think most teams are pretty adamant about that around the league right now.”

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