Occasionally work colleagues will ask me about my hockey fandom, given it's something of a curiosity here. One thing I have said in the past that's something distinct about hockey fans, and Bruins fans in particular, is that while no fanbase likes to see its team lose, Boston's will accept as it as long as, in simple terms, they beat the other team up in the process. For a majority of supporters, winning on the scoreboard is of course the first priority, but winning the physical battle and seeing their players impose themselves on the opposition is a very close second. It matters, in a way that's hard to fully explain to a non-fan.
And Zadorov near-perfectly taps into that. Talented, sure, but also big, hard-hitting, aggressive, takes no shit. As long as he lives up to his reputation and brings good effort, especially in the big games and playoffs, he'll be adored and occasional mistakes will be forgiven for things that a Carlo, for example, could never get away with.
I hope things pan out well for him with the Bruins. Going to be a lot of fun if it does. I get some of the reservations around him, but when he's really switched on he's a very effective player, even putting the physical stuff to one side. Just need to get more of that, especially at the right time, and less of the inconsistency and errors. Our defensive system isn't quite what it was under Cassidy, but it should still be a good place for him to find his groove. Fingers crossed.
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