The Boston Bruins weren't supposed to reach the same level of success as last season. The anchors of their center ice position, Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, retired in the offseason. The pair led the team to numerous deep playoff runs and a Stanley Cup championship for almost 20 years.
Many were skeptical that the Bruins had enough depth at the center position. Not to mention, they had statistically the best regular season in NHL history in 2022-23. Even if they outperform their expectations, they may not come close to last season's accolades.
Well, 12 games into the season, the Bruins hold a 10-1-1 record, six points clear of second place in the Atlantic division. All the fans waiting on the Bruins' downfall may have to wait because it doesn't look like the dynasty will be going anywhere yet.
As expected, most of the Bruins' success has come from their defense and goaltending. Last season, Linus Ullmark won his first Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender. Jeremy Swayman teamed up with him to win the William M. Jennings Trophy for the league's lowest total goals-against.
This season, it looks like Swayman is making his case to be the No. 1 goalie, as he has gotten out to a 6-0-0 record, a 1.49 goals-against average, and a .952 save percentage. The coaches have a big say in the success of their defense, as they have been missing three members of the top six, Charlie McAvoy, Matt Gryzleck, and Derek Forbort, and have continued to excel.
The Bruins' most surprising and disappointing player
The young Bruins, Jakub Lauko, Johnny Beecher, and Trent Frederic, have shown that they are ready to fill the void left by Bergeron and Krejci. However, one rookie has been the biggest surprise, while a more established veteran needs to bring more to the table.
Biggest surprise: F, Matthew Poitras
Poitras was expecting to head back to the Ontario Hockey League and play another season with the Guelph Storm. He impressed the team in training camp with a solid collection of preseason games, good enough to land a nine-game tryout.
In the NHL, rookies can play nine games with the NHL club without using a year of their rookie contract. If the player appears in less than nine games, he can be sent back to his junior hockey club without consequence. That was the plan for Matthew Poitras.
The front office wanted a look at him as their center of the future. What they didn't expect is that Poitras may be the center of the present. As he played his first few games, it became clear that the 19-year-old may belong in Boston. Through 12 games this season, Poitras has four goals and three assists, averaging 15:04 TOI per game.
He has been moving around the lineup, trying to find his place alongside the Bruins' scorers in the top six. It's no small feat that much of Poitras' work has come as the center on the third line. Charlie Coyle has been struggling as a center in the top six, better suited for his third-line role.
If they want to get the best out of Poitras, they will slot him alongside Brad Marchand or David Pastrnak. This season, much of the rookie hype is around Connor Bedard and Logan Cooley. It wouldn't be a surprise if Poitras is near the front of the Calder Trophy nominations at the NHL Awards next spring.
Biggest disappointment: F, Jake Debrusk
Many pundits were saying that if the Bruins were to have success this season, they'd need Debrusk to step up. Well, 11 games into the season, that isn't the case for the Bruins.
Debrusk tied a career-high with 27 goals last season, freed from the shackles of ex-coach Bruce Cassidy. The 27 goals came in just 64 games after a leg injury sidelined him for almost two months. It looked like Debrusk was finally able to earn the first-round selection that the Bruins used on him in 2015.
Much of his success early in his career came with David Krejci and last season with Patrice Bergeron. It seems like he failed to generate the same chemistry with Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha this season.
There is plenty of time for Debrusk to turn it around, but being on pace for seven goals as one of the team's best scorers won't cut it. If the Bruins continue their success without his contributions, Debrusk's time in Boston may end. The team is in a cap crunch, and his $4 million annual salary can be used to upgrade elsewhere.
Follow Us
Subscribe