Beginning their first week of the new season with a .500 record, the Boston Bruins are looking to win back-to-back games with a second straight contest at home and the first game of the season against the Los Angeles Kings. On Thursday (Oct. 10), the Bruins rebounded back after their loss to the Florida Panthers to start the season with a 6-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens in the season’s home opener. Los Angeles, on the other hand, has only played one game so far, a 3-1 victory over the winless Buffalo Sabres. Both teams will look to continue a winning streak early on to start the new season.
Bruins Key One: Start the Game on Time & Score Early
In the opening loss to the Panthers, the Bruins really struggled to get the game going, playing as if it was mid-January and on the second game of a back-to-back. The team was disoriented, slow, and lacked motivation early on which led to them facing a deficit large enough on the scoreboard that even with a stronger effort later in the game, prevented the team from coming back to win. While the win over Montreal was an improvement in that front, scoring an illegal goal early (Hampus Lindholm’s goal was called back for goaltender interference) and scoring two goals in the opening frame, their defense was still subpar and kept the Canadiens close.
Related: Bruins’ All-Around Effort Helps in Victory Against Canadiens
The concept of starting a game from the opening draw is important for every game, but even more in the matinee ones. Considering most games are in the evening, having an early game means a change in routine and throws off the rhythm – similar to when East Coast teams have later games on their Western road trips.
Boston played in 11 games before 5 p.m. EST last season, finishing with a 6-5-0 record. In five of the six wins, the Bruins were the first team to score – setting the tone for the remainder of the game. The only time they did not score the first goal was in the April 6 game against the Panthers where Florida opened the score, but Boston won the game 3-2 in overtime. More importantly, in every game Boston lost in the afternoon games – the opposing team scored first.
- Nov. 24 vs. Detroit Red Wings (1 p.m.); 5-2 loss (Red Wings 2-0 lead)
- Nov. 25 vs. New York Rangers (1 p.m.); 7-4 loss (Rangers 2-0 lead)
- Dec. 9 vs. Arizona Coyotes (1 p.m.); 5-2 loss (Bruins 3-0 lead)
- Jan. 15 vs. New Jersey Devils (1 p.m.); 3-0 win (Bruins 3-0 lead)
- Jan. 27 vs. Philadelphia Flyers (12:30 p.m.); 6-2 win (Bruins 5-0 lead)
- Feb. 10 vs. Washington Capitals (3:30 p.m.); 3-0 loss (Capitals 3-0 lead)
- Feb. 19 vs. Dallas Stars (1 p.m.); 4-3 shootout win (Bruins 1-0 lead)
- March 2 vs. New York Islanders (3 p.m.); 5-1 loss (Islanders 5-0 lead)
- March 9 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (3 p.m.); 5-1 win (Bruins 3-0 lead)
- March 23 vs. Flyers (1 p.m.); 3-2 loss (Flyers 1-0 lead)
- April 6 vs. Panthers (3:30 p.m.); 3-2 overtime win (Panthers 1-0 lead)
As mentioned previously, early offense matters immensely but the defense matters even more. In both games earlier in the week, Boston conceded a combined three goals in the first 10 minutes of the two games (two vs. Florida, one vs. Montreal). Allowing a quick goal puts the team immediately in defense mode and the risk-taking on offense declines. If Boston wants a win over the Kings, they have to keep LA’s scoresheet blank for longer into the game while also converting on their own chances.
Bruins Key Two: Need Second Line Production
The offense for Boston hasn’t been an issue in the opening two games, scoring 10 goals, but the second line of Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle and Morgan Geekie is the only line that has been together for over 10 minutes combined this season that hasn’t been on the ice for a goal for and the only one that has allowed goals against. The trio has 1.2 expected goals for (xGF) but 1.6 expected goals against (xGA). While together, they have allowed the most shot attempts per 60 and the most total shots against. Simply put, they have failed to contribute offensively and defensively.
The issue of second-line right-wing has been a conversation point for the entire offseason and after a preseason where the rookies did not manage to steal a spot, Geekie seems to be the go-to man in that spot for now. Coming off a career-high 39-point campaign last season, he has a big opportunity that also comes with high pressure, and through two games, he has not impressed.
It’s not just Geekie, though, as Marchand and Coyle share a lot of the blame. Coyle, with zero points and a minus-4 rating on the season, has the third-worst xGA among forwards on Boston thus far (1.83) and has been outshot 11-9 while on the ice at 5-on-5. To add salt to the wound, he has lost more faceoffs than he has won, including only a 41 percent success rate on the draws while in the defensive zone. Marchand is the only one of the three to have a point on the season, but it came on the power play – not with Coyle and Geekie.
The Bruins have had success from their bottom six, especially in the win over Montreal, so the performance of the second line doesn’t make or break the chances of a win Saturday in Boston against the Kings. But if a third game comes and goes with this line struggling at both ends of the ice, head coach Jim Montgomery may look to throw the lines in a blender and switch things up going forward.
Bruins Key Three: Suppress Chances Against
The defense has been an early struggle. In the two games played, Boston has given up the fourth-most expected goals against per 60 (5.68) at 5-on-5 and the most goals against at 5-on-5 with eight goals allowed in six periods of hockey.
Touted as the “heaviest team in the NHL” all offseason long, the Bruins have not looked the part whatsoever. Bad defensive coverage, lack of clearance in front of the crease, and sloppy breakouts have kept the Bruins’ defense hemmed in their own zone, giving up high-quality chances. Only three teams (Canadiens, Devils, St. Louis Blues) have allowed more high-danger chances and no one comes close to the number of high-danger goals allowed (Bruins – 7; next-highest – 3).
Now, the Kings struggled to generate chances offensively at 5-on-5 against the Sabres, being out-shot 16-14, out-chanced 27-21 and losing the expected goals battle 1.97-1.09. That said, it is an improvement from the Canadiens, so it provides Boston an opportunity to find their groove defensively and limit the Kings’ few scoring chances. Anze Kopitar scored a hat-trick to propel LA over Buffalo in their win, so Boston has to be perfect because even with limited chances they still have the ability to win games.
Bruins Must Keep It Simple
It sounds basic – generate more offense from all four lines, play better defense, and most of all, play for a full 60 minutes – but it is the simple things that become muscle memory early on in the season that will make all the difference as the season grows old. There is also potential for Matthew Poitras to make his season debut, as he was a participant on the third line for Boston’s practice Friday morning (Oct. 11). Inserting him into the lineup will give the Bruins additional depth, especially down the middle and takes some stress off of Marchand, Coyle and Geekie in that middle-six of the forward core. Few things are better than afternoon hockey and this game should be a great one.
