The Boston Bruins are an absolute mess proper now.
Simply if you assume this workforce cannot play any worse, they offer one other lackluster efficiency the place the very same issues — lack of 5-on-5 scoring, too many penalties, etc.— crop up and in some circumstances develop bigger.
The B’s hit a brand new low Thursday night time in Carolina. The Hurricanes dismantled the Bruins in an 8-2 win at PNC Enviornment. The Bruins could not generate any offense. They scored one 5-on-5 objective and one other on a 5-on-3 energy play that required an unbelievable stroke of puck luck to seek out the again of the web. The defending was atrocious. The facility play (1-for-5) and penalty kill (2-for-3) have been terrible.
The gamers lacked power, self-discipline and a spotlight to element. Once you consider the Bruins’ success over the past 15 or so years, these three attributes have been all the time there. The B’s have all the time been among the many hardest groups to play towards. However 11 video games into the 2024-25 season, you’d need to rank them among the many best to face.
For the primary time in Jim Montgomery’s tenure as head coach, the Bruins are on the backside of the Atlantic Division standings by way of the primary 11 video games of a season.
The B’s are 4-6-1 and have misplaced 5 of their final six video games. Boston had a 10-1-0 report after 11 video games in 2022-23 (Montgomery’s first season) and a 9-1-1 report after 11 final season.
So, who’s accountable for this disastrous opening to the season in Boston?
Here is an inventory of the highest candidates (in no explicit order).
Jim Montgomery, Head coach
Sam Navarro-Imagn Photographs
Montgomery has tried nearly each doable line mixture conceivable over the past two weeks. The one line that is produced offensively with any type of consistency is the fourth line of John Beecher, Mark Kastelic and Cole Koepke.
Montgomery determined to separate up that trio towards the Hurricanes and see if every participant might assist energize a special line. The concept backfired as Beecher, Kastelic and Koepke all didn’t tally a degree and every took at the least one minor penalty. Two of the Hurricanes’ power-play objectives have been scored after penalties by Beecher and Koepke.
Montgomery additionally hasn’t been in a position to assist this workforce create any offense at 5-on-5. It is vital to begin quick if you’re a struggling workforce. The B’s did the other Thursday:
5v5 stats in 1st interval (by way of NST)
Shot makes an attempt: 13-2 CAR
Photographs: 5-0 CAR
Scoring probabilities: 7-0 CAR
Excessive-danger probabilities: 5-0 CAR
Targets: 2-0 CARArduous for the Bruins to play worse than that.
— Nicholas W. Goss (@NickGossNBCSB) October 31, 2024
The Bruins rank twenty fifth in objectives scored at 5-on-5 with 16 in 11 video games, whereas rating twenty fifth at 2.64 objectives per sport (all conditions). The B’s additionally rank twenty fifth in energy play share (14.9) and twentieth in penalty killing (76 p.c).
We might debate how sizzling Montgomery’s seat is correct now. The fact is he hasn’t executed a terrific job this season. He is additionally within the ultimate yr of his contract.
Montgomery clearly deserves a portion of the blame for the workforce’s struggles thus far, however the majority of the blame ought to fall on the gamers. That is an costly roster stuffed with gamers who’re performing effectively beneath expectations, and a number of them are core gamers.
The one first-, second- or third-line participant with greater than two objectives scored is David Pastrnak. He leads the workforce with six objectives and 10 factors. Nobody else on the workforce has greater than three objectives. Being overly reliant on one participant simply is not a profitable components. Solely six of the 12 forwards who performed Thursday night time had a shot on objective, regardless that it was an 8-2 sport.
Montgomery can solely accomplish that a lot. Sooner or later, the gamers have to step up.
Don Sweeney, Common supervisor
Sweeney deserves loads of blame, too. He constructed the most important roster within the league — actually — coming into the season. The B’s had the second-tallest and heaviest roster on Opening Night, per Elite Prospects. The end result thus far? A gradual workforce that lacks the talent and scoring depth to compete with the very best groups and — as we noticed Tuesday towards the Flyers — even the bottom-tier groups.
Sweeney hasn’t made any roster strikes to assist Montgomery and the workforce because the common season started. Tyler Johnson performed effectively in coaching camp and the preseason however stays unsigned. Johnson could be an improve over the likes of Max Jones and others. It is also a thriller as to why high prospect Fabian Lysell hasn’t gotten an opportunity to show himself on the NHL degree. Lysell’s pace, nice shot and spectacular playmaking capability at proper wing — a place of want for Boston — would inject a lot wanted offensive talent into this group.
Sweeney has executed a terrific job constructing playoff-caliber rosters in Boston, particularly lately when so many core gamers — Zdeno Chara, Tuukka Rask, David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, and so on. — have left or retired. Loads of groups would go straight to the underside of the standings after dropping a lot Corridor of Fame-level expertise.
However Sweeney is in the end chargeable for this yr’s roster, and now he has to repair it. The Bruins desperately want one other top-six and middle-six ahead, ideally a objective scorer on the wing. Can he discover an inside or exterior answer in time to avoid wasting the season?
Charlie Coyle, Heart
Coyle performed superior final season, setting profession highs with 25 objectives and 60 factors. He has tallied 44-plus factors in three consecutive seasons — the longest such streak of his profession. Extending that run is shaping as much as be a troublesome job after his gradual begin to the present marketing campaign.
Coyle has scored just one objective — towards the Avalanche on Oct. 16 — with zero assists in 11 video games. Moreover, he has totaled simply 12 pictures on internet in 11 video games, and he is been held with no single shot in 5 of these matchups. Coyle shouldn’t be an elite offensive participant, however the Bruins want 15-25 objectives and 25-35 assists from him as a top-six middle.
In his protection, his left wing — Brad Marchand — is struggling to attain (extra on that beneath), and he hasn’t had a constant proper wing on the second line. However there’s nonetheless no excuse for Coyle to be so ineffective offensively at this juncture of the season.
The Bruins are additionally struggling defensively with Coyle on the ice. The B’s have been outscored 7-1 and opponents have had 26-20 benefit in high-danger probabilities throughout Coyle’s 115:25 of 5-on-5 ice time this season. As well as, Coyle is profitable simply 42.3 p.c of his faceoffs, which is the worst win price on the workforce. He was at 51.6 p.c or greater in every of the final two seasons. Coyle gained simply two of his 10 attracts towards the Flyers on Tuesday night time.
Boston wants a a lot better efficiency from Coyle at each ends of the ice.
Brad Marchand, Left wing
John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports activities
Marchand had three different procedures in the offseason, so it isn’t too shocking that it is taking some time for him to get going. However as one of many workforce’s finest offensive gamers, Marchand must be extra constant as a objective scorer.
It took him till Recreation No. 9 — an extra time win over the Toronto Maple Leafs final Saturday — to seek out the again of the web. His second objective got here on a 5-on-3 energy play towards the Hurricanes, however it was more puck luck than anything else.
Marchand ranked second on the Bruins in objectives scored final season with 29. He’s the one participant on the workforce apart from Pastrnak who has scored 20-plus objectives in every of the final two seasons. Honest or not, the Bruins want Marchand to be a 25-plus objective scorer. They do not have anybody else on the roster — once more, moreover Pastrnak — who’s able to scoring at that price.
Marchand’s 0.48 factors per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 by way of 11 video games is the bottom of his profession. The one different time he has tallied fewer than two factors per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 was final season (1.6). Marchand has zero 5-on-5 objectives in 11 video games.
Along with not scoring, Marchand has taken six penalties in 11 video games. He is too vital to the Bruins’ success to be spending a lot time within the field for minor penalties.
Elias Lindholm, Heart
Lindholm was signed to a big free agent contract (seven years, $54.25 million) over the summer season to be a dependable objective scorer and playmaker at even energy and the facility play. He began out quick, scoring two objectives with three assists within the Bruins’ first three video games. However since then, he is been principally invisible offensively because the No. 1 middle.
The Swedish ahead has tallied just one level (an help on the facility play Thursday) over the past eight video games. He has not developed a robust chemistry with David Pastrnak, which is each shocking and regarding. Montgomery broke up this tandem at Wednesday’s apply.
Even Montgomery is not certain why the Lindholm-Pastrnak duo hasn’t been extra productive.
“It ought to work,” Montgomery told reporters Wednesday. “Two good hockey gamers, two gamers that see the ice rather well, two gamers that may shoot and cross, two gamers that may skate. It simply hasn’t materialized, so we’re altering it up.”
Lindholm has performed effectively defensively. He is sturdy on the forecheck and persistently is matched up towards the opponent’s top-six forwards. He is fifth on the workforce in hits and leads all B’s forwards with 17 shot blocks. However for the Bruins to function at most capability, they want Lindholm to be far more of a pressure offensively.
There are a number of the reason why the Bruins energy play is struggling, and one in all them is that Lindholm shouldn’t be producing sufficient scoring probabilities for himself or teammates with the person benefit. He has scored zero objectives with two assists on the facility play by way of 11 video games.
Pavel Zacha, Left wing
Bob DeChiara-Imagn Photographs
Zacha has thrived underneath Montgomery. He has performed two seasons in Boston and set profession highs in assists and factors annually, culminating with 59 factors in 2023-24. He has scored 21 objectives in every of the final two seasons after failing to hit the 20-goal mark in his first six years with the New Jersey Devils.
This season has been far completely different.
Zacha scored Boston’s first objective of the season vs. the Florida Panthers on Opening Evening. He hasn’t discovered the again of the web since. His solely level within the final 9 video games is a power-play help towards the Leafs final Saturday. He has produced simply two 5-on-5 factors (zero within the final 9 video games). This lack of manufacturing is unacceptable for a top-six ahead. Zacha additionally is not capturing sufficient. He has registered just one shot on internet in three of the final 4 video games.
The Bruins do not have a ton of high quality scoring depth at left wing, particularly when Marchand is struggling. They badly want Zacha to be a extra constant scorer, particularly if he is enjoying with linemates of Lindholm and Pastrnak’s caliber.
Morgan Geekie, Heart/proper wing
The Bruins tried many alternative gamers at second-line proper wing in coaching camp and the preseason, and Geekie in the end earned the function by Opening Evening. Sadly for Geekie, it hasn’t labored out on this spot (or some other, actually) over the primary 11 video games.
Geekie has scored zero objectives with one help in 9 video games. He has zero 5-on-5 factors. He isn’t capturing sufficient, both, tallying a couple of shot on internet in simply three of 9 video games. He was a wholesome scratch Thursday in Carolina.
Geekie loved an excellent debut in Boston when he posted profession highs of 17 objectives and 22 assists final season. He isn’t a nasty offensive participant by any means. But when the Bruins are going to have the quantity of scoring depth required for a playoff run, Geekie must be a part of that success.
Charlie McAvoy, defenseman
Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports activities
McAvoy has by no means put up gaudy offensive numbers. However he hasn’t tallied a single level in his final 9 video games, and in that span he has registered one or zero pictures six instances. That is nowhere close to adequate for a participant with a $9.5 million wage cap hit who must be within the high 10 of Norris Trophy voting annually.
The Bruins have a minus-32 differential in shot makes an attempt, a minus-17 differential in pictures on internet, a minus-8 scoring probability differential and a minus-1 objective differential throughout McAvoy’s 169:10 of 5-on-5 ice time this season, per Natural Stat Trick. It is by no means an excellent signal when the ice is tilted decidedly within the opponent’s favor throughout your finest defenseman’s minutes.
Jeremy Swayman, goaltender
The Bruins have not performed effectively in entrance of Swayman. However the actuality is he has to play higher proper now and bail out a few of these errors. That is what a goalie who ranks among the many high 10 and is paid $8.25 million yearly on common is predicted to do.
Swayman has a 3-4-1 report with a .884 save share and a 3.57 GAA. He ranks 54th out of 71 goalies with minus-2.2 objectives saved above anticipated, per MoneyPuck. There are a number of Bruins gamers performing worse than Swayman, however because the No. 1 goalie, he must play lots higher.
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