TAMPA - For the first two periods of the Bruins' 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers Thursday, Vladimir Sobotka did all the little things that make coaches smile.
Grind along the wall. Play strong on the puck. Enter corners without hesitation. Outmuscle opponents away from the play.
But while the recent Providence call-up earned the attention of Claude Julien, fellow 20-year-old center Phil Kessel also drew Julien's notice - and not in a good way.
"That's what we've been trying to get Phil to do," Julien, speaking of the little things, said after yesterday's practice at the Ice Sports Forum. "He wasn't doing that for the first couple periods. He missed a few shifts because of that."
Kessel is third on the team with eight goals, while his 57 shots are second only to Zdeno Chara's 58. But like most second-year pros, Kessel has struggled to find consistency. Opponents have been quick to thump the center and separate him from the puck. Defensemen have been taught how to steer Kessel on an end-to-end rush. Kessel has won only 40.3 percent of his faceoffs. He's been credited with only two hits in 23 games, one fewer than Sobotka has thrown in three games.
So in the third period Thursday, Julien swapped Sobotka and fourth-line right wing Petteri Nokelainen with Kessel and No. 3 right wing Brandon Bochenski. The speedy Sobotka, skating with Nokelainen and Peter Schaefer, gave Julien a stronger two-way line to match against the oncoming Panthers, who threw everything at the net to whittle Boston's 4-1 lead.
But Julien also wanted to see how Kessel would react to the demotion. Kessel answered by playing his most inspired period of the game. With help from Bochenski and linemate Jeremy Reich, Kessel scored the winning goal at 4:57. Later in the period, Kessel, after some grinding along the boards, won the puck and fed Bochenski for a scoring chance in the slot.
"What I wanted to see Phil do was bounce back in the third," said Julien, who had Kessel back on the third line in practice yesterday between Schaefer and Bochenski. "He did that and it was something I was happy to see. He didn't hang his head and dwell on that. He came back in the third, started working hard and winning his battles. He was strong on the puck. Those are all things Phil needs to do to be a better player."
No fear
After Milan Lucic was knocked out of the lineup Nov. 23 because of a concussion, the Bruins needed a plugger from Providence to fill a fourth-line spot. General manager Peter Chiarelli said it was a difficult decision to promote Sobotka, a skill player in the AHL, for fourth-line duty because of the solid play of Providence grinders Jeff Hoggan, Matt Hendricks, and Nate Thompson.
But Sobotka has opened eyes in three games, showing his smarts and hockey sense as well as a liking for the rough stuff, earning his third-period promotion against the Panthers.
"Sobotka has shown everybody that he fears nothing," said Julien. "He goes into a corner first without looking over his shoulder. He'll hit guys no matter who it is."
Sobotka skated 16 shifts (two more than Kessel) for 9:24 of ice time Thursday. Yesterday, Sobotka was back on the fourth line with Lucic and Nokelainen, but he's already earned the trust of his coach and GM after only three NHL games.
"He's a smart player," said Chiarelli. "He shows intelligence. But the other side of his game is that he's gritty. He's strong with his checks. He really drives with his legs. And we haven't seen it up here yet, but he's got a good shot."
Ice time
Cam Neely, usually spotted in suit and tie these days as he fills his duties as vice president, strapped on his skates and wore warm-ups for practice.
Neely spent time after practice working with Lucic and Matt Hunwick. During one drill, Neely showed Lucic one way to keep the puck in the zone along the boards. Some players bring both skates together, providing more surface area to deflect the puck. But Neely instructed Lucic to staple his right skate on the wall to stop the puck, but keep his left skate planted wide to provide a solid base.
When it was mentioned to Julien that Neely, his career cut short because of a hip injury, should still be on the ice, the first-year coach responded with a laugh. "Too big for our guys," said Julien.
Sick day
Chuck Kobasew (cold) was the lone Bruin to skip practice . . . The Bruins lost Bobby Allen briefly in practice. During a three-on-two drill, a puck skimmed off the defenseman's stick and smashed him in the face. Allen underwent repairs for a gash under his mouth and returned approximately 10 minutes later. "There goes my modeling career," quipped Allen . . . Lucic, out for the last three games, skated yesterday for the third straight day and has been cleared to play. Julien said Lucic is still considered day to day . . . Marco Sturm gave his approval to the NHL's new schedule, approved by the board of governors Thursday. Starting next year, the Bruins will play Northeast Division opponents six times, other Eastern Conference clubs four times, and each Western Conference club once, with three nonconference games remaining. "You want to play everybody," said Sturm, who believes eight games against each division opponent are too many.
Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at fshinzawa@globe.com.
