By: Tim Burke | Follow me on Twitter / X @timsports3
The start of the Boston Bruins’ season has not met expectations. The team’s record of 5-6-1 is unacceptable. The offense has been subpar at both five-on-five and on the Power Play. The defense, considered the team’s biggest strength, has allowed too many high-danger scoring chances. Still, it is only 12 games into the season. However, changes need to be made.
Bruins Power Play Struggles
One area of great concern is the Boston Bruins’ Power Play. Boston finished the 2023-2024 season struggling with the man advantage. The team had just scored one goal on 16 attempts in the second round of the playoffs against the Florida Panthers.
Heading into the Bruins’ Saturday matchup vs. the Philadelphia Flyers, the Bruins’ Power Play scored 14.9% of its Power Plays, which ranks 25th in the National Hockey League. A significant factor in why Boston’s Power Play has been so poor is its 81.8 Corsi% on the man advantage, which ranks 31st in the NHL. For once, the fans who yell shoot when the Bruins are in the offensive zone may have a point.
Shot creation while on the man advantage is an area where the Bruins have been inefficient. Why? The Bruins favor quality over quantity when it comes to shot creation. Still, when things are going this wrong, creating more chances to score is important. What changes should be made to get more opportunities to score?
Hampus Lindholm Should Quarterback the Bruins First Unit
Things need to change if the Bruins want to get back on track. An area of consideration for the Bruins to switch things up would be to replace Charlie McAvoy as the Power Play Quarterback. Boston’s $9.5 million defenseman ranked 30th in Power Play points in 2023-2024 and 33rd in shot attempts. The right-handed defenseman isn’t a shooting threat on the Power Play, making him predictable with the puck on his stick.
Hampus Lindholm’s offensive style may be the change the Bruins need. For starters, he shoots the puck much more frequently. As of November 2nd, the 2012 6th overall pick, his 53-shot attempts ranked third on the Bruins only behind Pastrnak and Marchand.
Secondly, as a left-shot defenseman, Lindholm can disguise a pass to Pastrnak better than a right-shot defenseman. Little things like having a defenseman shooting more and being able to disguise passes to Pastrnak will put more pressure on opposing penalty-killers by giving them more to worry about. If it doesn’t work out, the Bruins can always return to their Alternate Captain.
Jim Montgomery has changed the line combinations countless times this season to generate a spark. He has not made any significant changes to the Bruins’ Power Play. The Bruins 2016 first-round pick needs to play up to standard. That is the case with most Bruins. As of November 2nd, the former Boston University Terrier has 19.1% of his shifts starting in the offensive zone compared to Lindholm’s 11.6%. Despite that, the 6-foot-4 Swedish defenseman has more shot attempts, shots on goal, and five-on-five points.
McAvoy is a great hockey player, but his recent play is having him shift out of the top ten best blueliners, maybe even out of the top 15 in the league. He has the skill, toughness, and ability to be a James Norris Trophy candidate. But as of now, he is not playing the way he needs to. Lindholm has been a little sharper and more involved on the offensive side of things, and he deserves to be rewarded.
Elias Lindholm Needs to Shoot More
Elias Lindholm is a former 40-goal scorer in the National Hockey League. What made him such an offensive force with the Calgary Flames was not just his linemates but his ability to get open in the soft areas. On top of that, the new Bruins center possesses an outstanding shot. Players like him need more shot attempts because the Bruins are not generating enough shots for a successful Power Play. The Bruins top center led the tenth-ranked Flames Power Play in Power Play Goals three years ago. The Bruins must find ways to get him more involved in the offense while on the man advantage.
Final Thoughts
Several factors contribute to the inefficiency of shot creation on the Bruins’ Power Play. It is not simply a matter of shooting more. The Bruins are not moving the puck well enough, which has led to a lack of shooting lanes. The Bruins need to move the puck and get it to Pastrnak and Lindholm. They have two lethal shooters on their first unit. Use them. Lastly, the Bruins’ quality over-quantity philosophy is not currently working. Hampus Lindholm, as the Power Play quarterback, to enhance shot creation and overall offensive efficiency.
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