Tonight the Bruins start the long quest for Lord Stanley once again against the Dallas Stars in their home opener. Cam Neely in a recent interview said expectations are high for this season and that high standard is echoed in the room with the players. They know they are a good team that can compete and win. The question is do they have enough to truly push for a cup.
Starting lineup for tonight should look like this :
Brad Marchand--Patrice Bergeron--David Pastrnak Taylor Hall--Charlie Coyle--Craig Smith Jake DeBrusk--Erik Haula--Nick Foligno Trent Frederic--Tomas Nosek--Karson Kuhlman Derek Forbort--Charlie McAvoy Mike Reilly--Brandon Carlo Matt Grzelcyk--Connor Clifton Jeremy Swayman (starter) Linus Ulmark (back up)
The signings in the off-season of Foligno, Haula, and Nosek will add some real solid bottom 6 depth for the Bruins and hopefully give them that added offense missing the last 2 years. All 3 players are versatile and bring both energy and tenacity.
With the 4-year deal Hall signed, the 2nd line has a legit elite winger that can drive offense on his own and should create havoc for the other teams. His presence should see the ability of the top line to see more open ice in terms of facing the other team's top defenders less especially if that 2nd line clicks at a good pace.
The bottom line or energy line or pest line, whatever you want to call it has to be more consistent this year. Kuraly a constant on that line is gone and Wagner has been assigned to Providence as of right now, so it has a new look with Nosek as the center. Kuhlman and Fredric are at wing, so it has speed and some snarl. Over the last 2 seasons, the 4th line has struggled and has caused some real issues, especially in the playoffs. Hopefully with the addition of Nosek and Lazar ( out for 2 weeks) that will be the tonic to get this line effective again.
Swayman and Ulmark will be the tandem this year. With Rask out with surgery and a UFA, the Bruins have left the door open for him to return later on but as of now, it's a new look net for the first time in over a decade. Swayman is getting the call for the opener based on his performance in the preseason over Ulmark who looks like he will need a bit more time to find his game again since he hasn't played since April.
Keys for success :
The continued domination of the top line. Really there is no indication for worry. Brad, Bergy, and Pasta all look primed for another excellent season. Even though Bergy is 36 he still looks ready to play at a high level of play. So no real concern here at all.
The 2nd line obviously has a gaping exit in stalwart David Krejci who returned to his homeland to play. So to start the season Charlie Coyle has been pegged to fill that role. Coyle had off-season knee surgery and that possibly hampered him last season. His production was down and his play was truly ineffective. Let's face the fact he cannot replace a world-class player like Krejci but he can be a very capable center on this line if he finds his game again. With Hall who can drive offense, Coyle doesn't have to be the main force but most be better than he was last year. The lack of depth scoring has hurt the Bruins not so much in the regular season but in the playoffs and watching this line during the season will dictate perhaps whether Sweeny will have to address the 2nd line center if Coyle doesn't pan out.
The 3rd line last year was a work in progress at times. This year it's a completely new look with Haula, Foligno, and DeBrusk. the key for me here will be DeBrusk. Last year he looked lost, frustrated, and down. His play was grossly inconsistent and was hampered by injury and getting Covid. He has big game potential in that with his speed he can break a game open. That is the player we need to see. Plus Haula is coming off an injury season as well and looks to rebound. This line looked good in the pre-season and was developing good chemistry. Hopefully, it continues.
The D core remained pretty much the same as it was in the playoffs. The resigned Reilly is a good skater, passer, and is excellent at getting pucks to the net from the point. McAvoy freshly signed to a long-term deal looks poised to continue his ascension to the elite of NHL D ( in my mind he is the best 2-way d man 5 on 5 in the league already) and has been a beast on the blueline the last 2 seasons. His time being mentored by Big Z cannot be understated. Carlo looks healthy and ready to go and will be key in shutdown and PK time. Matt Grzelcyk was looking real good in pre-season. Confident and shown I think a new level of maturity. Clifton looks to be the 6th man right now and he will hopefully be a bit more consistent this year. The one new D is Derek Forbort signed as a UFA, The former Jet has good size, is good in front of the net and on the boards. Plus he can eat up minutes and is solid on the PK. So I expect no slide in D play from this group which is needed for success.
Goaltending for me is the biggest question mark. Having an elite goalie like Tuukka for a decade, one entered the season without any worries really. Neither Swayman nor Ulmark can replace him but what they need to be is solid, consistent, and at times capable of stealing a game or two. Within the Bruins system of solid D play and commitment to that from all, they will have a chance to thrive and grow. But any top-tier success to push for a high division placement will depend on the play between the pipes.
Coaching has been really good with Cassidy knowing how to get the most out of this team most of the time. He has a tendency to be a bit stubborn at times with certain players but he has continued to adapt, make adjustments, and will need to again this year if the Bruins are to push for the ultimate prize.
Season Prediction: The Bruins in the Atlantic will face tough competition against Tampa, Florida, and Toronto. Plus I expect Ottawa to be no pushover. The Habs are who knows what and Detroit is still in rebuild and Buffalo looks like a tire fire but one never knows. So as I see it right now the Division shakes down like this: 1st Tampa 2nd Boston 3rd Florida 4th Toronto 5th Ottawa 6th Montreal 6th Detroit 7th Buffalo. But the placement between the Bruins, Leafs, and Panthers could all be swapped out. Point totals for the Bruins, a high of 110 and low of 99. 110 means 2nd and 99 could mean 3rd or a wildcard.
The top point player will be Brad between 95-100. Top goal scorer Pasta with 40-52. The top D point man McAvoy 45-60.
So enough talk as they say and let's get it going. Hope the Bruins roar loud this season. GO BRUINS !!!
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