Redden comes up big in Bruins victory May 02, 2013

Returning to the playoffs for the first time in nine years, the Toronto Maple Leafs received a rude awakening Wednesday night, falling to the Boston Bruins by a score of 4-1.  One of the heroes on the night was Wade Redden, who scored his team’s first goal and added an assist on the game winner by Nathan Horton.

Before the season began, Redden was a forgotten man in the NHL. Having bounced around the last few years in the minors, the 35-year-old D-man was given a lifeline this January, when the St. Louis Blues signed him to a one-year deal. Now with the Bruins, Redden has taken full advantage of his current situation. 

“Obviously sitting through the lockout and not playing, then jumping right into it again, it was exciting,” said Redden. “It was a big deal for me, my family and everyone. It was emotional. Obviously, there were a couple of tough years there, but I was still going to the rink every day playing, whether it was NHL or AHL and I was still enjoying that. I’m just happy that I got another chance.”

In many ways, Boston is the perfect fit for Redden.  Not only are they a deep, cup-tested squad that makes it easier for a veteran to fit in, but they also feature a few familiar faces. Zdeno Chara and Chris Kelly played alongside Redden in Ottawa, the team he spent the bulk of his career with. His new GM, Peter Chiarelli, was also part of the Ottawa Senators organization then, serving as the assistant general manager for 2 years.

The Lloydminister, Saskatchewan native has only played seven games for the Boston Bruins, but he has already made his presence felt.

“Yeah, I feel pretty good. I’ll just do what I can, I guess, and jump in where they want to use me and help the team as much as I can. That’s kind of my mindset,” said Redden. “It is exciting for sure, just to come to this team and to know a bunch of the guys beforehand and get ingrained now with the whole team. It’s a great, great group here and it’s an exciting time going to playoffs.”