Hockey is back and it feels so good. For the Boston Bruins, it’s been a good start overall. After a poor showing in the season opener, they have enjoyed home cooking. They won their home opener against the Montreal Canadiens and followed that up with a thrilling overtime victory against the Los Angeles Kings.
The Bruins sit 2-2 and have gotten contributions up and down the lineup. One player they’ve truly enjoyed production-wise is Elias Lindholm.
Production From the Number One Center
When general manager Don Sweeney signed Lindholm, the Bruins finally landed their number one center. The departures of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci left a void in the lineup and there’s no denying it had to be filled. Depth down the middle was a focal point of the Bruins’ success over the years and having that stability helps tremendously.
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One of the big questions was how Lindholm would perform offensively. During the 2022-23 season, he saw a drop in point totals, going from 82 to 64. During the 2023-24 season, he finished with 15 goals and 44 points between both the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks. He split time between both center and wing, but given the Bruins landed him to anchor the top line, production needs to follow.
Chemistry takes time to develop, but he’s shown to have it playing alongside Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak. Lindholm has delivered on production, as he has two goals and five points through three games played. Furthermore, he is on pace for 102.5 points.
Playing alongside a guy like Pastrnak who can drive a line is enormous. He is currently a point-per-game player, which is huge for the Bruins. While the production has been evident, there is always room for improvement.
Lindholm Always Has Room to Get Better
The production has been there and there is no denying that. When all is said and done, that is what matters most. However, when you take a look under the hood there are things that sorely stick out in terms of his on-ice impacts.
It is still very early into the season and the Bruins are still learning a new defensive system being implemented. Also, the on-ice impacts are slightly skewed due to an awful start in the first game against the Florida Panthers. Despite the production, Lindholm is not impacting the game quite as much as you’d think.
When Lindholm is on the ice, the Bruins are not controlling the puck nearly as much. In fact, he has a Corsi for percentage of 38.33 and the Bruins are getting out-attempted 37-23. The actual shots on goal are even, but it’s the quality of the chances that are not evident. When it comes to high-danger chances, the opposition is pummeling the Bruins 9-1 and is controlling the expected goals share 1.45-0.71.
Of Lindholms’ five points, only two of them are during five-on-five play. He has been good, but needing him to impact the game more at five-on-five is going to pay huge dividends.
He has been instrumental on the penalty kill, as he’s won all of his draws, is blocking shots, and causing turnovers. He even flashed his offensive potential in the opening game with a great assist on the Zacha goal. The biggest element of his name is his defensive awareness. Throughout the contests, he has found himself in good position and is responsible at the other end of the ice. There is no denying he is a good player, but Lindholm and the Bruins have got to be better at five-on-five.
Lindholm Has Been a Huge Addition
Credit where it is due, the Bruins landed the player they wanted and he has impacted the club through the first three games of the season. Lindholm is the team’s leading scorer and has managed to help the Bruins’ penalty kill out in a positive way. It’s still very early, but the team and Lindholm have to find a way to impact the game at five-on-five. It’s been great having his presence and he is going to be a fun player to watch the entire season.
