In the last two games, Soderberg has taken 24 faceoffs

WILMINGTON — When the season began, Carl Soderberg was listed as the center on the third line, but one of the main duties of being a pivot — taking faceoffs — was not handled by the Swede.

Soderberg took just 29 faceoffs in the first 11 games of the season. Chris Kelly, nominally the left wing on the line, took the majority of the line’s draws.

But in the last two games, Soderberg has taken 24 faceoffs, and coach Claude Julien revealed Friday that Soderberg was dealing with a wrist issue when the puck dropped on the season that has since improved.

Soderberg has won 13-of-24 draws in two games this week.

Kelly began Thursday’s game on the second line in a lineup shuffle, but it appears that he will move back to Soderberg’s left Saturday when the Senators come to town. Julien likes the insurance that the defensive-minded Kelly provides, especially for draws in the Bruins’ zone.

“It is a luxury to have Kelly on that line to have two guys taking draws,” Julien said Friday. “Sometimes in the D-zone Kells will take those draws just for the reason that if we don't win the draw, he's working down low. Kells is by far the best as far as working down low as a former centerman. Those are the reasons he'll take them a lot of times.

“In the offensive zone, you'll see Carl take them a lot of times. It'll depend on who's hot that night and we have that luxury to be able to do that fluctuation.”

Soderberg won 42.4 percent of his faceoffs last season, when he moved to center in January. Without the injured Kelly’s help in the postseason, he won 48.3 percent of his draws.

Overall this season, Soderberg is at 45.3 percent on his 53 faceoffs, but has been better in the two games he’s gotten into a rhythm in the circle.

“It felt pretty good,” Soderberg told reporters Friday. “I like taking faceoffs.”