Some of the penalties are warranted. Some, however, are reputation calls. <\/p>\n
The 6-foot-7-inch, 255-pounder is rarely given the benefit of the doubt from referees when collisions, contact, and confrontations happen. If Zadorov is in the zip code, chances are he\u2019s heading to the sin bin, even for the most venial infractions.<\/p>\n
Cases in point: Zadorov was hit with penalties in recent games against the Hurricanes (holding against Jesperi Kotkaniemi) and Islanders (tripping against Anders Lee) that, upon review, were bad calls.<\/p>\n
Zadorov also was hit with six minutes in penalties during one sequence in the Islanders game when he was given an interference call, and a double roughing minor after. The interference penalty was borderline (rookie phenom Matthew Schaefer could have been called for embellishment). A roughing minor \u2014 not a double minor \u2014 was in order after Zadorov was jumped by Anthony Duclair and Lee (both of whom were given just roughing minors for coming to Schaefer\u2019s defense). Curiously, Schaefer got off scot-free for his part in the brouhaha.<\/p>\n
Following the Bruins\u2019 shootout win<\/a>, Zadorov joked that he piled up the PIMs that night because he was behind pace from last season\u2019s league-leading total (145) and he needed to catch up.<\/p>\n Zadorov is at his best when he\u2019s playing with controlled aggression, as he has been this season and especially during Boston\u2019s current six-game winning streak<\/a>. His presence alters the way opponents can attack. If you want to break out and\/or gain access to the Bruins\u2019 end, Zadorov is going to make you pay the piper, and that is not always a price forwards are willing to fork over.<\/p>\n Zadorov often took untimely penalties last season. This season, he\u2019s improved in that area. <\/p>\n \u201cI started last year with like 10, 11 games with a penalty, and I thought it was a lot unlucky, but I mean, there\u2019s a pattern to it,\u201d Zadorov said after Monday\u2019s practice at Warrior Arena.<\/p>\n He noted that rust on everybody\u2019s part has something to do with it.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery year there\u2019s more penalties called in the first 20 games of the year compared to the last 60. So, refs are coming out of this summer, everybody\u2019s coming out of this summer, things get a little aggressive, sticks are high and fly and everything,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, I thought maybe I got a little bit unlucky as well. Plus, I mean, I got four or five misconducts last year for fighting at the end, and everything. So those are bumped up. If you look at the minors, obviously trying to play my brand of hockey, trying to play hard, watch my stick check with my feet. Like you saw the penalty against Carolina, and you saw the penalty against the Islanders, it was a couple of questionables, obviously. Being a big guy, sometimes they make mistakes like that, but it happens.\u201d<\/p>\n When Zadorov protests a call while heading to the box or even after he takes a seat, it gets noticed. What goes under the radar, however, is his chinwags with the referees once he\u2019s set free. They are not always contentious. Often, constructive conversations.<\/p>\n \u201cSome guys apologize. I mean, they\u2019re all humans. Everybody makes mistakes,\u201d said Zadorov. \u201cWe eat the same bread. They\u2019re great referees, they\u2019re the best in the league. They do their job as best they can. Sometimes it\u2019s a human factor. You got to agree. We don\u2019t have a like in soccer. Like now they can make mistakes and it\u2019s going to be all on camera. But in hockey it\u2019s more like a human factor. So, I think we understand, we\u2019ve all been in hockey and emotions get ahead of us sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n As simple as it sounds, the goal in every situation is to stay out of the box and prevent easy goals.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you look at power plays around the league, every team has the highest talent ever. So, you don\u2019t want to give those guys an opportunity to get a feeling. You want to keep those players off the ice. You don\u2019t want to give them an extra opportunity to capitalize on you,\u201d said Zadorov. \u201cSo, I think it\u2019s really a big part for sure, for us is to find this middle ground of being the Boston Bruins and playing Boston Bruins hockey, but also staying out of the box. So, I think we are still working on it, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Marco Sturm said winger Casey Mittelstadt, who missed Saturday night\u2019s win in Toronto because of a lower-body injury, is \u201cweek-to-week.\u201d Mittelstadt was hurt against the Senators last week<\/a> but finished the game. \u201cI think he\u2019s doing better than we expected, so hopefully we can get him on the ice as soon as possible,\u201d said the coach … Defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who missed the Maple Leafs game because of family matter, was back at practice.<\/p>\n Jim McBride can be reached at james.mcbride@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him @globejimmcbride<\/a>.<\/p>\n