Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Boston Bruins were playing some of their best hockey in recent years. Their offense was firing on all cylinders, their core defensive pairs seemed unstoppable and Tuukka Rask was playing like aVezina-caliber goaltender. However, once the NHL restarted the 2019-20 season in the Canadian bubble, the Bruins seemed lost. After surviving a playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes, they weredismantled by the juggernaut Tampa Bay Lightning and exited early from the Toronto bubble. A season destined for a Stanley Cup trophy once again ended in a disappointing defeat.
The offseason led to even more confusion and doubts about the Bruins’ talent heading into the shortened 2020-21 season. After essentially givingaway Torey Krug to the St. Louis Blues, the Bruins made a crucial signing withCraig Smith, who is a highly regarded goal scorer in today's NHL.
Losing defensive stalwart and Bruin legendZdeno Chara to the Washington Capitals also stung, even though his skill level in recent years was similar to that of a men's league player with two knee replacements (we'll still miss you Z).
Through the first three games of the season, the Bruins' offense was downright atrocious;they had zero 5-on-5 goals and managed to net onlythree goals (in two games) against the mediocre New Jersey Devils. In a56-game season, a minor scoring slump has a larger effect on the standings than in a normal year, and the Bruins just seemed lifeless in the offensive zone. It wasn't as if there was no effort by the Bruins' forwards; They were mostly making costly mistakes on the blue line and not getting direct shots to the net. Luckily, the Bruins quickly snapped out of their slump and posted 21 goals over their next five games.
Although their offense was tough to watch, their defense and goaltending was nothing short of spectacular. Bruins fans were skeptical about Rask heading into this season after his abrupt departure from the bubble, but he stifled all doubts after looking in mid-season shape during the first quarter of the season. Additionally, even after losing Krug and Chara, the Bruins defense is outperforming expectations; Jakub Zboril, Jeremy Lauzon and Connor Clifton are becoming regulars in the lineup and playing like seasoned veterans. Although the offensive production is still lacking, their physical defensive play is only benefiting the squad.
Although the Bruins finally figured out their offensive demons, the question of if they're able to compete with the perennial title favorites, i.e. the Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals, still remains. David Pastrnak returning after offseason hip surgery is an added bonus, but they cannot make bonehead mistakes down the stretch. Rask needs to block out the critics and focus on his game mentally, and head coachBruce Cassidyneeds to solidify his lineup in the next couple of weeks. As always during this pandemic, staying healthy is crucial to the Bruins' title run. However, I still do not have complete faith in this hockey team. If the Bruins gain more offensive production from their defense and develop their third line, another disappointing finish might be in the near future.
