The Boston Bruins (12-10-0) find themselves in a tie for second place in the Atlantic division at a quarter of the way through. They dropped their last three contests, but before that they won seven in a row. The team’s early season performance may surprise many, as the Bruins finished far from consistent with last season and did not make any major moves in free agency. While the expectations are being met, there are two major areas of concern that fans should pay attention to. Here’s a look.
Injury
The Bruins need to be healthy this season, because they lack the depth to weather injuries to key players. Life is already a problem at this young age as Charlie McAvoy and Elias Lindholm are currently separated. Head coach Marco Sturm did not share the time of McAVOY’s injury, which happened last weekend against the Montreal Canadiens when he took a puck in the face and needed surgery. If McAVOY ends up missing more time, the Bruins will likely struggle to fill his pockets like they did last season when he was hit by an extension. Lindholm’s mood is very encouraging, as he accompanies the team on their West Coast Road trip.
Defensive health is of particular concern to this group. Both McAVOY and Hampus Lindholm, the team’s two Studensens, missed overtime last season. Their absence was greatly felt as the Bruins melted the floor of the NHL in the second half of the season without them. McAVOY in particular has a presence that is impossible to replicate. He is a leader in the locker room and a possible future captain, provides the physicality that makes the Bruins play, and is a consistent contributor on the power play.
Second Points
Secondary scores are another major area of concern. While it has improved relative to last season, it is still not where it needs to be. David Prestrak and Morgan Geekie have remained the two biggest contributors on offense, and they still don’t have any reliable numbers behind them. There was a light that played well from some players to the front of the team like Marat Khusnutdinov, even if Geekie and Prestrak are not able to produce, it has been very difficult for this team to win games.
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Because of this lack of secondary talent, the Bruins’ offense looks slow and predictable at times. Combining this with injuries on the blue line makes winning an uphill battle. Geekie and Prestrak have been flourishing this season, however the Bruins have yet to win a game where their opponent scored more than three goals. Raising their level of second rings will take pressure on their two stars forward and defensively, and allow the pants to stick with opponents in high-scoring games.
Areas of Concern
While the Bruins have started the season hot, their margin for error is slim, with half of their wins coming by one goal. Because of this, they cannot afford to pay more important players than McAVOY. In addition, while PESTRNAK and geekie were able to carry the team to win, remaining near the title of the Eastern Conference is impossible as long as they make the contributions received. If the Bruins can stay healthy and score more secondary goals, they should continue to qualify for the Atlantic division. If not, it is possible that they will suffer from singing together and get ahead.
