I have lost count of the number of times I have classified Brad Marchand as the No. 1 all-around left wing in the league. Charlie McAvoy got my vote for the Norris Trophy last season. Like any coach, Jim Montgomery, I believed, would need time to become familiar with his players and expect optimization of his system. With Pavel Zacha as the only every-game newcomer, I did not foresee how 2021-22’s mid-ranked offense would come to life instantly.
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For all these reasons, I thought the 2022-23 Bruins would not qualify for the playoffs until Game No. 82. Now it looks like they might turn the trick by Thanksgiving.
The 8-1-0 Bruins are steamrolling like a Mad Max war rig. It is the first time in franchise history they have won eight of their first nine games. The eye test and the statistics are aligned. The Bruins are the NHL’s best team.
“Just the pride in each of the players themselves to try and be prepared,” general manager Don Sweeney noted after the Bruins’ seventh win. “The coaching staff, in a short period of time, have come together and put forth a game plan to try and get better every day. That’s what we’re asking each and every one of us all as an organization. We’ve got a long road ahead of us.”
Following are eight reasons the eight-win Bruins are roaring in a way few could have predicted:
1. There is a team-wide lightness that did not always emerge last season. Bruce Cassidy is a very good coach. Bad ones don’t qualify for the playoffs six straight times. The Golden Knights, like Cassidy’s former team, have already created separation from the pretenders.
But in retrospect, pockets of the roster had grown weary of Cassidy’s firm approach. It showed in their play. Before the season, Brandon Carlo acknowledged he felt beat down at times by Cassidy’s blunt feedback. Carlo was not alone.
It is no coincidence, for example, that Jake DeBrusk is flying after nixing his trade request. The left wing appears to be a first-line fixture, not just because of his skill but because of his three-zone commitment. He showed that against the Blue Jackets in the Bruins’ eighth win by blocking Kent Johnson’s shot. DeBrusk’s reward was a breakaway goal.
Montgomery has preached an all-together attitude. No players have yet to report any friction regarding messaging. He has done a masterful job at lifting players up and getting them to pull in the same direction.
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2. David Pastrnak (seven goals, 17 points) has taken another step. Pity the defenseman tasked with handling him one-on-one off the rush. Not even a hotshot goalie like Jake Oettinger is equipped to stop the right wing’s left-elbow one-timer, even when the setup comes from a shallow angle.
Pastrnak’s bag of tricks, in other words, is expanding by the day. He is impossible to contain because he can score in so many ways. Not only that, Pastrnak’s playmaking is on a similar level. If defenders lean in his direction, Pastrnak is good enough to complete slot-line passes that are cupcakes for linemates like Taylor Hall to slam dunk.
Sweeney and agent J.P. Barry are in regular conversations regarding Pastrnak’s extension. No. 88 is in no rush to sign.
“J.P. and I talk almost every day,” Sweeney said. “Just trying to find the common ground. Hopefully we get to a point that we can announce. But we’re not there. Communication has been good. Just haven’t found the end point yet.”
By now, Pastrnak can just about name his price.
3. The Bruins are playing fast. This is because of Montgomery’s system. Not only has he given players the green light to go, but he’s also made it clear where they should be: net front as the weak-side defenseman, blowing the zone as the weak-side wing. The Bruins’ transition game is back.
4. The depth is overwhelming. David Krejci is out with an upper-body injury. Carlo missed four games because of a concussion. Jake DeBrusk was hurt in the season opener. Jeremy Swayman started the year slowly. The Bruins traded Jack Studnicka.
None of it has mattered. Fifteen players have scored goals. Connor Clifton, formerly a third-pairing right-side defenseman, emerged when Carlo’s absence overlapped with McAvoy’s. Linus Ullmark has sparkled as the No. 1 goalie. There are regular dogfights for appearances between Trent Frederic, A.J. Greer, Craig Smith, Jakub Lauko, Mike Reilly, Jakub Zboril and Anton Stralman, all of whom have been scratched at least once.
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5. Ullmark is an ace. It’s hard to believe that one year ago, pucks were either squirting off him or finding their way past him at unexpected rates. Now, fully acclimated to both city and franchise, Ullmark is performing at an elite level. In all situations, according to Moneypuck, Ullmark has saved 0.772 goals above expected per 60 minutes of play. That places him seventh among goalies with five or more appearances. He is playing big, square and fast.
6. Patrice Bergeron is Patrice Bergeron. The captain is third on the team in scoring with four goals and five assists. He’s averaging 18:14 of ice time per game, just about in line with his 18:10 pace last season. Opponents are averaging 1.2 five-on-five goals per 60 minutes of play with Bergeron on the ice, according to Natural Stat Trick. Last season, when he won his fifth Selke Trophy, Bergeron had a 1.68 on-ice GA per 60. The 37-year-old has not experienced any degree of decline.
7. They’ve been in command. The Bruins have scored first in seven of their nine games. They’ve won all seven. They’ve closed out all seven games in which they’ve led after 40 minutes. It is far easier to control an outcome instead of chasing it.
8. The defense has improved. The Bruins were leaky early. They allowed transition rushes. Their net-front coverage was inconsistent. They’ve made big steps all around. At five-on-five, they’re allowing 2.16 expected goals per 60. Lately, the Bruins have optimized the balance between opportunistic offense and airtight defense.
(Photo: Russell LaBounty / USA Today)