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  • Soderberg finding his groove for the Black and Gold

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    Soderberg finding his groove for the Black and Gold

    Chris Chirichiello February 4, 2014
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    His season didn’t start on time due to an ankle injury, but Carl Soderberg has found his game lately helping the Bruins to their recent hot streak.

    We heard Soderberg’s name last year during the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Will the Bruins bring him in? Will he ever play over Kaspar Daugavins? Well, he played in a total of six games for the Black and Gold last season he had just two assists with a minus-2 rating, but this year it looks as if the Swedish forward is more comfortable not to mention a bigger sample size.

    Soderberg has been versatile for the B’s. He has played wing and he has moved to center in the absence of Chris Kelly. When Kelly returned, Claude Julien had the luxury of leaving him at center while Kelly got his legs back underneath him.

    Through 46 games played this season, Soderberg has eight goals and 20 assists. He really has found a groove and Julien has liked Soderberg on the ice especially when he is playing center.

    “He’s done a good job,” Julien said after Saturday’s 4-0 win over the Edmonton Oilers. “He’s played center most of his career so it’s not like it’s something new to him. He’s done a good job, even down low-big body, he just kind of battles, he’s heavy-so I think he’s done a real good job there.”

    Julien knows Soderberg’s experience and confidence has made him more suitable to play other positions when in need.

    “He has gotten better with time and that’s about a guy getting used to North American hockey versus European hockey and getting more confident in that part of the game,” Julien said. “He’s had to adjust from being a centerman to a winger so again those are a lot of things to ask a guy to start a season and think that he is going to be at the top of his game.”

    Soderberg is happy to see Kelly back on his line alongside Loui Eriksson making him feel very comfortable with his linemates.

    “The line is a little bit stronger now too and before we started to score some goals,” Soderberg said after tallying a goal and an assist against Edmonton. “We played a couple of good games together too, so I think we have built some chemistry together.”

    The 28-year-old Swedish forward has opened some eyes this season for the B’s because we have seen him on a nightly basis-maybe that is what he needed to get going. He is sixth on the team in assists and eighth on the team in total points.

    In his last four games, Soderberg has recorded two goals and three assists. He has been playing a powerful game using his size to his advantage.

    If Soderberg continues to adjust and play like he has in the last few games, his playoff stats could be a little bit different than they were last season.

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