Daniel Paille: The Unsung Hero

I knew as soon as the 7^th Player award was announced that I needed to sit in front of my computer and air my grievances with the internet masses of hockey fans alike. There have been rumblings on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media outlets by disgruntled Bruins fans over the recipient of the award this year. The fans choose who receives the award, and while I disagree with their choice, I was clearly in the minority of voters who actually pay attention the game and understand what a 7^th Player means to the team.

A 7^th Player is someone who may not get a ton of ice time but when he does, he out-skates, out-performs, and plays 150% every time he puts on the spoked-B uniform. He is a player who may not always be talked about by sports analysts and writers, but they acknowledge his contribution to the team as a whole. He most certainly is not a starter, but he could be.

edit by Judy (the-destroia)

So rather than complain about the outcome of the award, I want to talk about why I voted for Daniel Paille, and why I think he should be recognized by the Bruins fan base as more than just a member of the infamous Merlot Line.

Daniel Paille was sent to Boston from Buffalo back in 2009. He wears number 20 and he is the left wing on the fourth line of the Bruins, dubbed the Merlot Line for their merlot colored practice jerseys. He plays alongside fan favorite boxer Shawn Thornton, and handsome Gregory “Soupy” Campbell. Since Paille joined the Bruins in 2009, he has 35 goals, 39 assists, and an average of around 12:26 minutes played per game for the Bruins.

This season, Paille has been nothing short of amazing for the Bruins. He already has 10 goals, 7 assists, and he’s +3 this season. In light of this short season, Paille has more goals than Lucic. He is tied with Bergeron and Krejci for goals scored this season. Let me reiterate, Paille, a fourth line left winger who only gets about 12 minutes on the ice, has more goals than one of our starters. Not only does he match the fan favorites for goals, but he only missed two games this season. Daniel Paille played in 46 out of the 48 games this season, whereas the recipient of this year’s award played in 42 and has been dubbed a healthy scratch for the first playoff match up between the Bruins and Maple Leafs.

Both Brad Marchand (who has scored 18 goals for the Bruins this season) and Paille have 2 short-handed goals. Only one other Bruin has scored a short-handed, and that would be Paille’s linemate, Campbell.

In my opinion, the statistics speak for themselves. Daniel Paille has matched some of the Bruins’ favorites in goals and short-handed opportunities. The Bruins have always been a team made up of “blue-collared players” – the type of guys who are not necessarily known all around the league, but who know how to play selfless hockey and capitalize on opportunities. He is the type of player that the Bruins organization is best known for.

Go out and buy a Daniel Paille jersey or shirt. Come up with witty signs for his name to bring to Bruins games. And for karma’s sake, I hope he scores the first goal tonight against the Maple Leafs.

Finally, to end on a good note: here are a couple of gifs of Paille so you can see just how adorable he is.

source: gaptaincanada.tumblr.com

source: bruinthecup.tumblr.com