The Boston Bruins’ players and supporters should be experiencing two distinct feelings with just thirty days left in the NHL regular season: hope and fear. Again, Boston leads the President’s Trophy rankings, but this time, its stats aren’t breaking records. The Bruins added their chapter to the alleged “curse” last season, thus the only thing in common with that prize is superstitions. But with 98 points after 70 games and a playoff berth all but guaranteed, the Bruins should be filled with optimism going into the last 12 games, especially given their recent heroics from the bench depth.
Arrival of Justin Brazeau
A stunning “from the ground up” ascent to the major leagues is adored by all. Justin Brazeau, one of the biggest in the NHL, is a benefit to Boston. Since making his debut on February 19th, Brazeau has helped the squad score three goals and provide one assist. However, Brazeau’s services to the squad go beyond what is seen on the scoreboard.
The rest of the Bruin depth has benefited greatly by his gritty and defensive abilities, as evidenced by his 27 hits and 3.66 blocked shots per 60 seconds.
Just In Time For The Playoffs, A Disappointing Defensive Year Turns Around
Before the postseason push begins, Boston’s top three defensive lines are essentially set. Hampus Lindholm and Brandon Carlo swing the second line, while Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk lead the front group. Regarding Boston’s third pairing at practice on Monday, coach Jim Montgomery remarked, “You’re trying to see if guys are comfortable playing the offside, especially when we knew today was going to be a good practice where we would be defending the rush a lot.”
The defensive chess pieces that are still in place are Mason Lohrei, Parker Wotherspoon, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Andrew Peeke. For the rest of the season, Montgomery will be a member of the third line. Boston wants to try things with the left-handed former duo and the right-handed latter. Even if it has been fixed, their problems in the neutral zone and frequent turnovers continue to be their worst enemy. The objective is to keep the puck under control and limit turnovers in the neutral zone. Come playoff time, Jim Montgomery will write whatever best protects the puck, whether it comes from right-handed or left-handed third-line control.
The Atlantic War
Right now, the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers are fighting for first place in the Atlantic Division. Given how the two teams ended the previous season, the matchup makes sense. Home ice will be very important in the postseason. Boston should continue to concentrate only on refining their procedure and arranging their lineups in front of the postseason. To get his act together, Jim Montgomery will need to overcome the Rangers, another formidable team in the Eastern Conference, in a challenging test.
Leave a Reply