By: Andrew Bluestein | Follow Me On Twitter / X @adbblue
The Boston Bruins have been streaky on the power play this season but have also been productive at the same time. They currently have the fourth-highest power-play percentage in the league at 27.5%. The numbers may not seem accurate as the man advantage has not necessarily passed the eye test during many games this season.
A large part of the power play’s success has come in the last ten games. The Bruins have scored a combined 11 goals on the man advantage in that ten-game span. They have scored a power-play goal in six of the ten games and have recorded multiple in three of the six games. In two of the three multi-goal power-play goal games, they have scored three while up a man.
The man advantage has been lackluster in the games where they haven’t recorded a power play goal. Their zone entries have not been good, and they allow opponents to take away space, leading to turnovers. It often seems there is a lack of continuity with positioning and puck movement, which has led to many unproductive power plays. Even when they are successful, it often takes over a minute to get things going and set up shop in the attacking zone.
Their personnel is a large reason why they can be so dangerous when up a man. There will undoubtedly be production when you have players like David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Brad Marchand and a long-time specialist like Janes van Riemsdyk. Additionally, guys on the second unit, such as Hampus Lindholm, Charlie Coyle, and Jake DeBrusk, help match up against other teams’ weaker penalty killers.
Pastrnak is one of the most dangerous power-play players in the league and has 22 points, tied for fourth. He is also tied for fifth in the league in power-play goals with seven and tied for fourth in assists with 15. Marchand is not too far behind him, having 18 points, tied for eighth in the league. Another thing that has helped with the man advantage as of late is players who didn’t get a ton of power play time earlier in the season stepping up. Morgan Geekie and Kevin Shattenkirk are two guys in that category that stand out.
Although Geekie has a line of just 2-2-4, he has been recently bumped up to the top unit. He’s stepped up and been a key part of moving the puck, helping set up quality chances. Shattenkirk hasn’t seen as much time in the last few games, but he can step into a second-unit role when needed and has plenty of power-play experience throughout his career. This season, he has a line of 2-3-5 with the Black and Gold.
Regardless of how the power play looks or how streaky it has been, the fact of the matter is the Bruins have still been productive and are top five in the league. However, they still have plenty of room for improvement and can definitely clean things up and be more consistent. If they are able to do that, it will be a scary sight for the rest of the NHL.
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