By: Declan Flavin | Follow me on Twitter / X @FlavinDeclan
The Boston Bruins coming away with a 2-1-0 record last week against the New York Islanders, New York Rangers, and Detroit Red Wings should be pretty satisfying. They continue to play an all-in game built on urgency and physicality, despite the midweek road bump against the Rangers.
This retooling phase will bring some odd bumps and inconsistencies like the ones on Black Friday, but it’s also shown that the team’s fate is clearly in the hands of head coach Marco Sturm’s ability to build on the success the front office has had so far this season. When he has his players going and engaged from the first to third period, they are a tough team for anyone in the league to play against, and that’s an exciting thought for fans who at least want a playoff appearance this season.
Seven Notes:
1. This was a stellar week for goaltender Jeremy Swayman, pairing a 44-save start against the Islanders with a terrific shootout performance against the Red Wings. It feels like the days of worrying whether he was fit for a lead-goalie role are long gone, and that’s likely due in large part to having a full training camp in hindsight. Great news, of course, but it’s unclear how backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo is feeling right now, which leads into the next point…
2. Korpisalo looked shaky in his only start this past week and was unfortunately part of the reason the Bruins fell behind in the momentum battle against the Rangers. There was hesitancy and slow reaction from him, which can likely be attributed to a playing time load that, if I had to guess, is quite low for his liking. Our own Tom Calautti had echoed Korpisalo’s reported past frustrations about his playing time, and he’s probably just as frustrated, if not more, now that Swayman has earned more back-to-back starts.
3. Forward Morgan Geekie just keeps scoring, and it’s anyone’s guess when this production might slow down. His 20 total goals so far are just 13 shy of what he scored all of last season, and we haven’t even reached Christmas yet. You have to wonder if the Bruins feel Geekie has now cemented himself as another line driver to build around, with a core of him, David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Jeremy Swayman representing the exciting future and the clear long-term plan.
4. As an aside from his play on the ice, defenseman Charlie McAvoy has been through the ringer at this point in his career. He posted an Instagram picture of himself, his wife, and his son for Thanksgiving, sporting a mouth scar from the puck to the face he took. After yet another injury that has taken a toll on him mentally as a player, it’s worth considering whether McAvoy should always be properly complemented on his line rather than expected to drive the pairing.
5. Back on the ice, the balance of the Bruins’ forward lines continues to aid their ability to play effectively both at home and on the road. Yes, they’ve had Pastrnak and Geekie to take the top off the defense, to use a football term for a moment, but they’ve also managed to win despite surprise injuries to forwards like Elias Lindholm and Casey Mittelstadt. Forward Sean Kuraly has logged countless minutes in his career, yet he’s still contributed to the attack through responsible defensive play and quick feet on the forecheck, which is no different from what forward Mark Kastelic and others have brought, and so on.
6. Tied to the previous point, forward Georgii Merkulov did not impress in his call-up from Providence for the game against the Rangers, which may be connected to how the major league team plays now. Every forward for the Bruins has been expected to remain continuously active on the forecheck and durable enough to defend when needed. Snipers or pure playmakers like Merkulov are being pushed out of this style, and he doesn’t necessarily have the size to stand out as a black sheep in the trend.
7. Now-injured forward and project Matej Blumel hasn’t impressed in a similar way, as he needs to score in bunches to compensate for the organization’s forecheck expectations. His turnover against the Islanders that led to a goal highlights the overthinking young finesse forwards face trying to make a living in this generation of hockey. Compare that with a thriving forward in this system like Alex Steeves, and you can see the difference that playing a simpler style makes for those who have played the game differently.
Leave a Reply