• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins: They Are Who We Thought They Were

By Bob Mand November 21st, 2011

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

The Boston Bruins are finally who we thought they were. After four opening weeks filled with uncertainty and ineptitude unbecoming of a defending Cup champ, the Bruins are back where they belong, challenging for a position among the NHL’s elite.

Recently, I’ve imagined some high-strung opponent’s coach’s fiery response to a question about the Bruins much like the infamous tirade of former NFL Head Coach, Dennis Green. But for a long time, the rest of us weren’t so certain.

The Black and Gold, winners of eight straight games, didn’t just beat their October slump, they knocked it out, tossed it in a ditch, stole its keys then asked it for directions to the nearest Dunkin’ Donuts. In defeating all their opponents since the start of November, the B’s have put up forty goals (at a rate of five per game) and tallied at least five in six of those contests.

While it’s hard to believe that this sort of torrid offensive pace will continue for long (the B’s had more goals in the first four games of November than in all of October), it’s becoming equally difficult to imagine that these B’s aren’t more in line with the team’s capabilities.

The Bruins have returned to the style of bruising, bullying hockey that made them the darlings of New England and the antagonist of the rest of the hockey world. Milan Lucic’s unapologetic freight-training of Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller may have not been accidental (at least not likely entirely…) but it served notice to the League that the Big Bad Bruins were back in town.

That said, entering November, many analysts (myself included) were at a loss trying to explain the their god-awful first month: For a defending champ to struggle isn’t uncommon, but their start was historically terrible for a team coming up a Cup-winning campaign.

Of course scoring was down and they weren’t coming through in the clutch; of course Zdeno Chara had an utterly forgettable first few weeks; of course the first line of David Krejci, Lucic and Nathan Horton were stumbling mightily out of the blocks, but the reasons behind the situation were puzzling. Was it the emotional letdown after the highs of their 25-game Cup run? Was it a collective exhaustion from a summer spent celebrating? Was it the absence of a leader (Mark Recchi) or secondary scoring (Michael Ryder)?

In any case, there were many of us at a loss trying to grasp the nature of this team. As October wore on, the Bruins seemed to wander further and further from who we thought they were. Arriving at a low of 3-7-0 on October 29th on the road end of a home-and-home sweeping via their hated archrival Habs, one was left wondering if this Bruins team was the same that had lifted that hallowed silver hardware in June.

Since then, the Bruins have jumped back into the equation. Their performance in the past three weeks is more in-line with what many had anticipated leading up to 2011-12: They’re seventh in the East with a game in hand on all but one of the teams in front of them and just three points back of the conference-leading Flyers. Their goal differential of +25 leads the NHL and is miles ahead of all but their closest competitors.

The Bruins’ November recovery has quieted many doubts. With a win against the Canadiens Monday night, the Bruins could extend their league-best winning streak to nine games and take over first place in the Northeast Division. They are who we thought they were.

  • Tags
  • David Krejci
  • Milan Lucic
  • Nathan Horton
  • Ryan Miller
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 25th 6:30 PM
Archives

San Jose Sharks Coaching History

Jan 25th 6:15 PM
Fantasy

4 Bounceback Candidates for the 2020-21 Fantasy Hockey Season

Jan 25th 6:13 PM
Archives

Blackhawks & Chelios: Together Again

Jan 25th 5:50 PM
Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs’ Power-Play Strategy: A Wayne Simmonds’ Net-Front Statue

Jan 25th 5:40 PM
Ottawa Senators

Senators Loading Up Top Line Is a Mistake

Jan 25th 5:30 PM
Buffalo Sabres

3 Sabres Takeaways From Shootout Win Over the Capitals

Jan 25th 5:03 PM
Archives

Edmonton Oilers Jersey History

Jan 25th 4:25 PM
Column

NHL Players of the Week: Kopitar, Varlamov & More

Jan 25th 4:15 PM
Editor's Choice

A Look Back: Grading the Canes’ 2014 Draft Class

Jan 25th 3:45 PM
Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs Weekly: Injuries, Milestones and Armstrong

Editor’s Picks
2021 NHL Draft Rankings: Baracchini's Top 75 Rankings

2021 NHL Draft Rankings: Baracchini's Top 75 Rankings

Wayne Gretzky Almost Joined the Detroit Red Wings

Wayne Gretzky Almost Joined the Detroit Red Wings

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information