Page 29 of The Trade Deadline

Abigail Cunningham, The Baltimore Sun

IT’S NO REAL SURPRISE that Lars Nilsson has been a standout on the Blue Crabs this season. His goal and point totals speak for themselves, and while not as impressive as they have been in previous seasons, he’s within a stone’s throw of his usual numbers (last year he scored 52 goals and currently is on pace for 47). He’s been winning games, filling seats, and selling jerseys, which is no doubt exactly why General Manager Charlie Monroe leapt at the chance to sign Nilsson in the off season. And while fans are no doubt pleased with the results so far, some of the most exciting things happening have come from a familiar player in an unfamiliar role.

Ryan “RJ” Russell came to Baltimore halfway through the season just over two years ago. Since then, he’s mostly filled in holes in the third and fourth lines with occasional looks at the second. This year, he’s been centering the second line and for several stretches has been moved up to the first. Yes, Russell has performed so well that he’s pushed Nilsson out of the top spot. He’s on pace for a thirty goal season, the first of his career; last year he scored seventeen goals. What’s changed?

For answers, I turned to Mickey “McHockey” Hoack, a former Blue Crab who won the Stanley Cup with them back in the ‘70s. He’s been the Crabs’ color commentator for well over a decade, bringing his understanding of both the game and the franchise to fans.

“He’s playing with confidence,” McHockey said after the team’s recent game against Winnipeg. “He’s always been a talented skater, one of those reliable players who’s there to grind through the hard minutes. Now he’s showing finesse. He’s taking control and driving the play instead of reacting to it.”

And while that might be a satisfying answer for some, I, for one, still wonder: why now? What’s the impetus behind this newfound confidence? What’s driven this change to Russell’s game?

“I have no idea what goes on in that locker room,” McHockey continued, “but Big Nilly has seen Junior’s talent and is trying to get him to unlock it, which is just what this club needs. You could see it in the way their shifts played off each other versus the Aviators. They were challenging each other, and both of them answered the call bea-u-tifully.”

It’s an interesting idea, and there might be something to it. A lot of players have a competitive drive—to make it to this level, a certain amount of competitiveness is required—but it’s usually fueled by rivalries and the thrill of beating opponents. Russell, despite being one of the more outgoing members of the Blue Crabs, to my eye had always looked more reserved on the ice. Maybe what he needed was a friendlier form of competition: an in-house rivalry nudging him along instead of the more acrimonious ones we sometimes see around the league.

I don’t want to take away from anyone else on the team. Voronin is having an exceptional season in net. The team’s Penalty Kill is fourth in the league. The young talent is starting to look as good as the veterans. But if the Blue Crabs make it to the playoffs this year, it’ll be on the backs of Nilsson and Russell.