By: Declan Flavin | Follow me on Twitter / X @FlavinDeclan
It’s now four games into the Boston Bruins’ season, and the team is playing differently than many expected at this point. The results have been there for the team, and that’s against what everyone thought they would struggle with.
Pessimism before the season surrounded the roster, largely based on the opinion that the Bruins did not have enough pure talent for the group to even create consistent offensive opportunities. Any optimism stemmed from the belief that while the team lacked high-end talent, it could still generate enough offense through its collective urgency and competitiveness. So far, though, the Bruins have matched that energy with offensive flash that has shown on the scoreboard.
The Bruins Are Scoring Across Multiple Lines
So far in the new season, the Bruins have had goals from ten different players across all forward lines. The top lines were expected to score somewhat, but it has featured Elias Lindholm and Morgan Geekie, each with multiple goals, while Casey Mittelstadt, on the second line, has also scored multiple times.
The bottom lines have contributed scoring from unexpected names, including Sean Kuraly and Tanner Jeannot. Even the defense has chipped in a goal, with Jordan Harris filling in for the temporarily injured Hampus Lindholm and scoring in the loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. This has already led to more scoring opportunities overall for the team, which should make it easier to sustain offensive production moving forward.
Yes, it may sound obvious that scoring more is important for production going forward, but scoring early and often in the season specifically, with contributions from different players, helps break down league defenses and gives opponents additional film for analysis. The more the Bruins can divert opponents’ attention away from David Pastrnak or Geekie, the better the team’s chances for success.
Again, some may have expected the universal impact the roster has had early on, but few would have expected goals across each line and in different situations throughout games. It speaks to the early impact Head Coach Marco Sturm has driven, implementing an urgent attack plan with players from all different phases of their careers contributing to this organizational retool. The team will look to continue producing early results on a road trip starting with the Vegas Golden Knights, and although it will be difficult to sustain universal production over time, this strong start shows the team is in good hands and on the right track.
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