Acciari makes NHL debut with Boston Bruins

By Matt Metcalf
Posted 3/3/16

Former Hendricken All-Stater Noel Acciari made his NHL debut with the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night after getting recalled for the first time in his professional career that morning.

Acciari, …

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Acciari makes NHL debut with Boston Bruins

Posted

Former Hendricken All-Stater Noel Acciari made his NHL debut with the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night after getting recalled for the first time in his professional career that morning.

Acciari, who became the fourth Hendricken hockey player to make it to the NHL, centered the Bruins’ fourth line between wingers Landon Ferraro and Brett Connolly against the Calgary Flames.

The Johnston native saw between eight and nine minutes of ice time, including over a minute and a half of penalty kill time.

He was also a plus-1 rating, going to the net hard on a goal scored by Ferraro on a shot from the high slot at 7:05 of the opening period.

“I thought Noel handled himself real well,” Bruins’ coach Claude Julien told reporters following Boston’s 2-1 victory over the Flames. “Very responsible and gritty, and he seemed to be in the right place for the most part. I thought he handled himself well for a guy in his first game.”

Acciari stuck to his game, laying a hit early on, before delivering a booming body check on tough guy Brandon Bollig in the neutral zone during the second period.

Other than that, he played defensively responsible, and was an asset on the penalty kill unit. Seemingly, Acciari looks to be a good fit for that fourth line going forward. And with Zac Rinaldo currently serving a five-game suspension for an illegal check, Acciari should get further opportunities to prove his worth in the coming weeks.

“It’s just a dream come true,” Acciari said to reporters after the game. “Going into it, I just tried to play my game and do anything I could to help the team out.”

Acciari and the Bruins will have a couple of tough tests in the near future, as they’re set to host the Chicago Blackhawks tonight at 7 p.m. and the Washington Capitals on Saturday, also at 7 p.m. Both teams currently are in first place in their respective conferences.

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