By: Tom Calautti | Follow me on Twitter @TCalauttis
The Boston Bruins are off to their worst start in several seasons, and there hasn’t been much of a silver lining. The 6-7-1 Black and Gold are tied with the Detroit Red Wings for fourth in the Atlantic Division, and currently sit outside the playoff structure in the Eastern Conference. One of the biggest concerns surrounding the team is the sheer number of issues the team is having.
The team’s offense has been inconsistent at best and anemic at worst (25th in goals), their special teams have completely let them down (29th ranked powerplay and 20th ranked penalty kill, and their defensive (the supposed backbone of the team) has faltered in key situations. Things look bleak right now, but the team’s November schedule may present them with their best opportunity to right the ship.
There’s no excuse for the large majority of the issues the current iteration of the Boston Bruins have, but it’s also fair to point out that they’ve had a difficult schedule to start the season. Over their first 14 games Boston has faced nine teams that made the playoffs last season. Those nine games included two matchups against the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers, the odds on Cup favorite Dallas Stars, the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes, and two rock fights against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Fans are quick to point to last season’s hot start (with an arguably inferior roster) as something to hold against the current team. The 2023-24 Bruins sprinted out of the gate with a 12-2-1 record over their first 15 games. One of the major reasons for that was their schedule. Only six of the first 15 games were against eventual playoff teams, and six other games came against teams that selected in the top five of the NHL Draft.
Boston’s next 15 games are going to be crucial if they plan to turn around their season. After a difficult starting schedule, the team is finally hitting their soft spot. Over the next 15, the Bruins will take on the Calgary Flames, Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues (twice), Columbus Blue Jackets, Utah Hockey Club, Detroit Red Wings (twice), New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, and Philadelphia Flyers. These are the types of squads that Boston NEEDS to feast on in order to get things moving in the right direction.
The Pens, Isles, and Flyers are all basement dwellers in the Metropolitan Division. Ottawa and Detroit are beatable division rivals. The Blackhawks and Blue Jackets were both lottery teams last season. St. Louis, Calgary, and Utah are young, upstart playoff hopefuls that good teams should be able to handle.
Make no mistake, I’m not excusing or giving a pass to the Boston Bruins for their play over the first 14 games of the season, I’m simply saying that a difficult schedule could have factored in. What I am saying is that this team needs to start winning, and points are at a premium in this league. This might be the most favorable portion of the 2024-25 schedule, and if the Bruins want to compete for the Stanley Cup, this stretch might be the most important of the regular season.
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