Raise your hand if you had the Boston Bruins leading the Atlantic Division at the quarter mark of the season. No, not even I can do that, and I had an optimistic outlook for the team this year. The surprising Boston Bruins have won 8 of their past 9 games and boast a record of 12-8. Most recent victories have come versus division opponents to boot. Multiple regulation wins versus the Toronto Maple Leafs and wins over Ottawa and Montreal have padded their lead atop the standings with 24 points. While the season is only at the quarter mark, the Bruins have earned a lot of credit given where expectations were placed on the group. Injuries to key players like Elias Lindholm and Casey Mittelstadt haven’t slowed them down as the team continues to play a relentless style of hockey. Let’s look at what I think the biggest factors for their success have been.
Coaching
Marco Sturm has gotten to know his team. The team has gotten to know Sturm. After a honeymoon phase of figuring out Sturms’ system and where everyone slots in, the Bruins have clearly found what they are. For what they lack in skill they make up for in aggressive defense and opportunistic scoring. A relentless team with and without the puck, Boston is not having trouble scoring. What was deemed to be the biggest obstacle has not been an issue as the team is finding the back of the net consistently. The Bruins are 2nd in goals with 68. One of the biggest reasons for this is powerplay improvement. The Bruins currently have the league’s 6th best PP percentage at 25.4%. Though that may not be sustainable through 82 games, Steve Spott must be given credit here. Last season the Bruins finished 29th on the PP and improving this was a priority for the new coaching staff. So far so good.
The penalty killers are also getting the job done at a succession rate of 82.1%. Good for 11th league wide. Sturm’s defensive structure see’s the team moving off zone coverage for a man-to-man deployment and we are seeing the results. The group is finding its grove on special teams.
Goaltending and Defense
The Bruins goaltenders haven’t been lights out and haven’t needed to be. They have just been solid and solid is getting the job done. Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo do not have sparkling numbers and in fact, the Bruins sit in 27th place in goals against at 66. A number with room for improvement but one that is good enough to have them winning games. Korprislo is spending more time in the net this season and that’s a good thing. Swayman is a personality that needs to be pushed. He needs to know there’s another guy the team can turn to if he slips. You may recall the tandem of him and Linus Ullmark and the success they found together. I wouldn’t put this duo in the same category as them, but I do see Swayman benefiting from the competition.
Leadership
If there was any doubt whose team this was there shouldn’t be any longer. David Pastrnak will be the next captain of the Boston Bruins and it’s not a question of if, but only when, it happens. You only need to see the team’s response to 88 scoring his 400th career goal versus the Leafs last week to know how much the group loves him. The bench cleared as every player made their way over to Pastrnak to celebrate the milestone. Swayman even skated the length of the ice to get in on it! What irked many fans (Every Leaf fan – who should be more concerned with their own teams struggles) was nothing more than a sign of what the Bruins think of Pasta and his value to the team. He may not lead in the same ways Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara did, but it’s become evident that this is Pastrnak’s team. He leads by example and has really become a well-rounded player. He’s never going to win a Selke but after becoming the 6th Bruin to score 400 career goals, he will very likely end up being the greatest goal scorer in franchise history.
The play of Nikita Zadorov has been fantastic thus far. After a rough start in Boston last season, Big Zaddy has settled in on the top pairing with Charlie McAvoy quite nicely. He’s not racking up the same penalty minutes he did a season ago, but he isn’t shying away from the physical play either. He is bringing Big Bad Bruins hockey back in a big way. Just ask Scott Laughton, Auston Matthews or Matthew Schaefer. Though he is without a letter on his sweater, Zadorov has literally been huge for the Bruins through 20 games.
Tanner Jeannot, Viktor Arvidsson and Mark Kastelic have all provided exceptional leadership for Boston too. Arvidsson is one of the more vocal veterans in the room and it’s proven valuable with young forwards Fraser Minton and Marat Khusnutdinov.
Next Man Up Approach
The Bruins haven’t had a ton of luck when it comes to injuries. Elias Lindholm (7 games so far), Casey Mittelstadt (5 games so far) and Hampus Lindholm (Missed 8 games), have all missed significant time. What’s worked however has been the Bruins’ ability to elevate players into bigger roles. Khusnutdinov has landed on the top line with Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie after finding himself a healthy scratch early on. He has added a level of speed and creativity that’s given the line a new life. Similar for the second line as Alex Steeves has fit in well with Pavel Zacha and Arvidsson. Steeves led the team in hits most games since his recall and has also provided some scoring.
There is considerable concern however after Saturdays win in Montreal as both Arividsson and McAvoy had to leave the game with injuries. Sturm has already said that Arvidsson will miss some time with a lower body injury while Bruins fans are holding their collective breaths as the team evaluates McAvoy’s health. McAvoy left the game after taking a puck to the mouth/jaw area late in the second period. Until the Bruins announce the severity of the injury, it is safe to say that he too will likely miss some hockey this week. The injuries are starting to add up for the Black and Gold.
The Lookahead
A busy week awaits the Bruins. First, they will host the Carolina Hurricanes Monday night before flying west to visit some California teams. Wednesday in Anaheim to play the surging Ducks, Friday a date with LA followed by a Sunday evening matchup in San Jose. A tough trip and week ahead, with or without several key players. For the Bruins the message must remain the same; Next man up.
G-Rant @TheRealG_Rant/Grant Cumming. Bruins fan. Bigger dreams, bigger screens, bigger feelings are planned.
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