As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads towards the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Boston Bruins.
What are the Bruins most thankful for?
A light early schedule.
Normally, if you said that November was coming to an end and the Bruins were seven points out of a divisional playoff spot, alarm bells would be ringing all across Boston. But with just 15 games played so far–tied for the lowest total in the league–there’s plenty of time to make up that ground. In fact, the Bruins have played five fewer games than the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings, two teams ahead of them in the Atlantic standings. Sure, things aren’t going perfect for Boston through the early part of the year with a 9-6 record, but it’s not panic time just yet.
Who are the Bruins most thankful for?
The “Perfection” line.
Despite two of its members being in their mid-thirties, the Bruins’ top line is just as devastating as ever. Brad Marchand is off to an incredible start with 20 points in his first 15 games (a points/game pace that has him fifth in the league), David Pastrnak has 15 points despite shooting at a career-low 7.6%, and Patrice Bergeron continues to be arguably the most effective two-way center in the league. The 36-year-old Bergeron has 13 points in 15 games, has been on the ice for just six goals against at even-strength (compared to 11 for), and has won 62.7% of his faceoffs to this point, easily the highest mark in the league from any full-time center.
Like they have for years now, the top line of the Bruins is carrying the offensive load while they try to figure out the rest of the lineup. While players like Craig Smith and Erik Haula struggle to find the back of the net, Pastrnak, Bergeron, and Marchand are keeping the team in the top half of the league for goals for per game. It’s not going to last forever, but it still is for now.
What would the Bruins be even more thankful for?
Tuukka Rask’s return.
One of the biggest differences in Boston this year is the goaltending tandem, a brand new duo of Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark. Neither one has been exceptional, or even above-average so far, with a flat .908 save percentage for each of them. That’s not the end of the world, but it’s also not what the Bruins have been used to for the last decade-plus. In each of the 12 seasons that Rask played at least 23 games for the team, he posted a save percentage of at least .913. Overall in his career, that number was .921, one of the best in the history of the NHL.
It doesn’t mean Swayman and Ullmark can’t play to a level better than they have so far, but there’s certainly no guarantee that they will. The issue is, there’s also no guarantee that Rask can play up to the level he has in the past, even if he comes back to the team in 2022 at full strength. The veteran netminder has been clear about his desire to play for Boston once he recovers from hip surgery, even skating at their facility lately. If the Bruins have their eyes set on another postseason run, it still seems likely that it will include Rask, at least in some fashion.
What should be on the Bruins’ Holiday Wish List?
A second-line center.
If the change in net was the most noticeable, perhaps the most important was the one at the second-line pivot position. David Krejci’s departure and subsequent return to the Czech Republic left a massive hole in the Bruins lineup, one that to this point has been filled mostly with Charlie Coyle. It’s not that Coyle has played poorly in that role, in fact quite the opposite, he leads all non-first-line Bruins’ forwards in goals and points through the first 15 games. But the team has said many times in the past that they think he is most effective on the wing, and having him there or even on the third line instead would only help to lengthen out what has become a top-heavy group.
By acquiring a legitimate top-six center at some point, it would slot everyone else in the Bruins’ lineup down a peg and make them seem like a much more well-rounded group. It’s not always easy to find that kind of player, but the team does actually have some extra cap space this time around to make an addition at the deadline. In fact, if they don’t make any drastic changes over the next few months, they could have more than $10MM in space to make a big splash. Whether they’ll have the assets to do that is another question, as is whether they’ll be in the right spot standings-wise for it to make sense.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Bergeron extension.
The only thing that would make me happy with bs is if they finally fired Sweeney the guy doesn’t know talent if it bit him in azz
I can’t really think of any signing or trade that’s actually worked yes I know most will say Hall but now their paying him 6m for nothing the only way they should’ve resigned him was if Krejci was coming back
Because, of course, players like DeBrusk, Carlo, McAvoy and Swayman suck so much.
DeBrusk blows and it’s to soon to know how Swayman will turn out (so far great) and also it’s plane to see you can’t read because I didn’t say anything about drafting players also you name 4 players out of what 8-10 drafts
No, you didn’t say anything about “drafting players.” You were talking about judging talent. Strange though it may be to your limited intelligence (damn, man, are you really talking about reading comprehension while demonstrating that you can’t spell or use proper grammar?), when one drafts players, one ought to be judging talent.
And that’d be seven drafts: Sweeney became GM in 2015. Also, no kidding I wasn’t talking about players from the last few drafts, because by and large players from the last few drafts haven’t made an impact yet — league-wide. Which, of course, anyone who knows more about hockey than “duh, is the round black thing the puck?” is aware of already.
No, I don’t think the Bruins are thankful for their schedule. Through the first 6 weeks of the season, they’ve already had a 5 day layoff and two 4 day layoffs. The Bruins have also had 3 back to backs so far. It’s tough to build any momentum or consistency with so much down time. They’ll pay for it later on too; their schedule is gonna be packed.
I’m thankful for Charlie McAvoy. He’s mobile, physical, strong on his skates, solid in his own end, mans the point on the powerplay and logs big minutes. He is a beast!
I’ll take JT Miller as my second line center. Put him between Hall and Coyle/Smith. Wow
Author of this article sure as hell is not a Bruins fan. No way in hell do we want that tired POS Rask in net. Roll with the kids. We cleared $14 Mil is payroll this past offseason and I for one am glad. See you Tukka and David.
Depends what the deal is, for Rask. I know there are a lot of people who are down on him for reasons that surpass understanding, but he’s a Hall of Famer who’s always performed at a high level. Obviously one doesn’t want to sign him to a long term contract, or open the bank for him, but so far Ullmark hasn’t much impressed, and keeping Rask around for a couple of years to mentor Swayman is a good idea.
Tuukka Rask interview from June 11th , 2021 where he mentions future contracts , around 3:30 into interview he made brief statement.
link to youtube.com