In search of scoring touch, Bourque gets new beginning with CBJ
Since recording 27-goal seasons with the Calgary Flames (2009-2011), Rene Bourque has been in search of not only his "game," but also a good fit with a team.
Traded to the Montreal Canadiens in Jan. 2012, he saw inconsistent ice time, although he led all Canadiens players during last years' playoffs with eight goals. He struggled under Montreal head coach Michel Therrien, often not seeing eye-to-eye.
He was then traded to the Anaheim Ducks in Nov. 2014, where once again he was in search of consistent ice time. He recorded two goals and six assists in 30 games for the Ducks before being packaged in the trade that sent defenseman James Wisniewski to Anaheim from Columbus two weeks ago.
With one year remaining on his contract, the 33-year-old Bourque feels that he can still contribute and is looking at the move to Columbus as a fresh start in the next chapter of his career.
"I think they've been really good about making me feel comfortable," Bourque said of the Blue Jackets organization. "The coaches, staff and players have been really supportive of me with what I've been through this year and understand that. At the same time, they've given me a chance to play."
He has one goal in five games with the Blue Jackets. He has shown that he's not afraid to go to the hard areas around the net in search of creating chances and scoring opportunities. He's already seen the positive direction that the club is heading and feels he has the veteran experience to help them get there.
"I'm still learning a lot about the way that we here," he said. "There are times that we play well and can play with anybody. It's those minutes where we take some shifts off where it hurts us. From the goalie out, I like what we see. There are a lot of good, young guys here that will develop more as the years go on. There's a good group of veterans here that can teach these young guys things."
The Lac La Biche, Alberta native has impressed Blue Jackets head coach Todd Richards with the way that he plays the game. Beyond looking at numbers on a sheet of paper, he's shown that he is fitting in with the way that Richards wants the team to play to their identity.
"Again, with him coming in," said Richards, "I knew a little bit about him, not a lot. I've talked with (associate coach) Craig Hartsburg who's had him before. To me, he's done more than what I've expected. What I mean by that is his speed, his size and his physicality.
"We've talked about his shot and scoring goals, but there are other parts of his game that I really like. When you look at his numbers, you're looking more at how many goals has he scored and people are talking about his shots. To me, his skating is really good, his speed... there are lots of things that I like about his game, right now."
Bourque expanded on Richards' comments about what the team and the fans should expect from him with the Blue Jackets.
"Well, you know I'm fighting for a spot this year and next year," Bourque said. "My back is against the wall and I'm going to do whatever I can to show them that I deserve to stay here. When I'm playing good, I'm moving my feet and being physical. When that happens, I tend to get to the front of the net and get some more scoring opportunities."
He also sees the trend of young players being more NHL-ready much sooner than in the past. With the likes of Alex Wennberg, Marko Dano and Ryan Murray on the team, with more waiting in the wings for their chance, he knows that Columbus is on the right track. This helps to stoke his competitive juices to show that he belongs on the ice right beside them.
"I think the trend in the NHL the last few years is young guys getting in the lineup. The young guys now are so skilled and ready to make the jump, more so than they were ten or fifteen years ago. They can come in and make an impact right away, like getting Ryan Murray back, he's obviously going to be a huge part of the future of this team and for the rest of this season.
"And the young kids now have been given opportunities because of the injuries and from what I've seen so far, they've stepped up and played a lot of big minutes for this team. The coach has been able to put them out there in all situations. He has trust in them to play on the power play, penalty kill, the last few minutes of the game or whatever the situation. It just speaks to their development."
It's been an uphill battle for Bourque these last few years. Could Columbus be the place where he finds his "game" again and contributes with a scoring touch? Only time will answer that. Rest assured that he will fight tooth-and-nail to prove that he belongs in the NHL.
The Blue Jackets return to action Wednesday as they take on the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place, with puck drop scheduled for 10 p.m. Catch all the action beginning at 9:30 p.m. with the FOX Sports Ohio pregame show "Blue Jackets LIVE."
