Would you look at that: Boston actually looks to be pretty good this year. The Boston Bruins have shattered most pessimists’ expectations of them as they have gotten off to a great 7-1 start, the best record in all of the NHL.
I’ve got to say this upfront…I was really wrong about the Boston Bruins. I thought this team was toast coming into this season as they had just undergone a grueling, seven-game series against the Carolina Hurricanes, all of the star players were whether old, hurt, or both, they had just fired their long-time head coach (Bruce Cassidy), they hired a guy who hadn’t coached in two years (Jim Montgomery) to replace their old coach, and it was unsure if team legend Patrice Bergeron was coming back for another season.
When you add up all of those factors, how could you not think that the Boston Bruins were doomed to drop out of the playoff race for the first time in six years? And especially so given the fact that the Bruins roster was a little weak to begin with.
But, I guess the Bruins themselves didn’t know that as they have unleashed a furry on the NHL that I haven’t seen since their 2018/19 Stanley Cup run. Every player on the Bruins roster looks rejuvenated, while the boring, predictable offense under Bruce Cassidy has become a dynamic powerhouse.
Led by Patrice Bergeron (4 G, 4 AST, 8 PTS), David Pasternak (6 G, 9 AST, 15 PTS), David Krejci (2 G, 6 AST, 8 PTS), and Hampus Lindholm (2 G, 5 AST, 7 PTS), the Bruins have already scored 35 goals for a fantastic average of 4.38 G/gm. You don’t need me to tell you that if you are able to score nearly 4.50 goals per game, then you’re going to win a lot of games.
And the defense and goaltending has also been good too. They’ve only given up and impressive 22 goals, with 7 of those coming in the Bruins only loss of the season to the Ottawa Senators, while averaging to only allow 2.75 G/gm. Though, if you take away those seven goals, the Bruins defense only averages to allow 1.88 G/gm.
Obviously, that’s an outstanding statistic.
As for the goalies, Linus Ulmark has cemented himself as the early season starter as he’s had a great start to the season. Posting a 2.01 GAA, a .936 SV%, and only giving up 11 goals across 6 games, Ulmark’s numbers are among the league’s best.
Nonetheless, what makes this start to the season so remarkable is that the Bruins have done it without the help of two of their (arguably) best players: Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy.
With Marchand just returning last night from offseason hip surgery to a heroic 3-point game against the Red Wings, the Bruins’ success seems to be here to stay as the additions of Marchand and McAvoy can only help this team in the long run.
Man, was I wrong about the Bruins.
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