The Boston Bruins have started the 2024-25 season with a 2-2 record. Although, perhaps they’d be undefeated if they didn’t have to play the Florida Panthers. That team continues to be a thorn in their side.
The Bruins have also had a mixed bag of results offensively. They’ve scored 15 goals but have also allowed 15. In four games, they’ve scored more than three goals in a game twice – the offense is there, but a good portion of it has come from their fourth line.
Bruins’ Fourth Line Continues to Deliver
The Bruins are getting tremendous contributions from their fourth line. Credit to general manager Don Sweeney for finding Mark Kastelic, who came over in the Linus Ullmark trade with the Ottawa Senators. Kastelic has two goals (second on the team) and five points (tied for first with Elias Lindholm), and two of his three assists were primary.
For a big player who plays a physical game, he keeps things simple and has a wicked shot. It’s not just him. His linemates, Cole Koepke and John Beecher, have also shined brightly. They each have four points, giving the line 13 combined points, and they’ve accounted for 1/3 of the team’s goals.
The trio has a solid puck-possession game. They have a Corsi for of 60.34%, are outshooting the opposition 18-10, and are dominating on the quality of their chances. As a line, they have dominated the expected goals share (2.22-0.86) and have completely suffocated their opponents.
In the final game of their three-game home stand, the fourth line and blue line were responsible for scoring goals. The Bruins need more offense. With the team hitting the road, these are the players who need to step it up.
Bruins Forwards That Need to Step Up
Morgan Geekie
The biggest question mark going into the season was the second-line right-wing position. This offseason, the Bruins saw Jake DeBrusk leave for the Vancouver Canucks as a free agent. This opened the door for younger players like Fabian Lysell or Georgii Merkulov to take the position, but that’s not been the case. Instead, Morgan Geekie has taken that spot. Geekie had a career year with 17 goals and 39 points in 2023-24. He is now playing on a line with Charlie Coyle and Brad Marchand, who he’s had chemistry with before.
Related: Assessing Bruins’ Center Elias Lindholm Through the First Four Games
Still, Geekie has had a tough start to the season. In four games, he has zero points and is a minus-4. Also, when he is on the ice, the Bruins are chasing the play more than controlling it. The opposition is out-attempting them 51-39 and outscoring them 3-0. Geekie has a subpar expected goals for percentage of 41.71%. Individually, he’s generated 0.9 expected goals, so there is hope he cashes in. With second-line minutes, production should follow suit. If not, the Bruins will be wrestling with this position all season.
Charlie Coyle
Coyle earned his seat at the table as the second-line center. But he also has zero points, and opponents have feasted on the opportunity when he is on the ice.
With Coyle on the ice, opponents are dominating the high-danger areas of the ice (10-5 in shot attempts) and are controlling the expected goals share 41.21% of the time. To make matters worse, his line with Marchand and Geekie is composed of players who are responsible defensively. However, that’s not been the case.
This season, the trio is averaging 5.46 expected goals against per 60 minutes and has not done a good enough job suppressing the opposition. They’ve also scored zero goals. They need to be that extra layer of offense. Other players could step up, such as Trent Frederic and Justin Brazeau, but this trio needs to take advantage of their next opponent.
Stepping Up in the Mile High City
On Wednesday, the Bruins forwards have a chance to bounce back against the Colorado Avalanche, who have had trouble between the pipes. Alexandar Georgiev has been pulled in both of his starts, allowing five goals on 16 shots in the first game and three goals on nine shots in his second. However, he finished his third start against the New York Islanders, but still allowed five goals. He now has a 6.58 goals-against average (GAA), a .790 save percentage (SV%), and -7.7 goals saved above expected. That’s not the start they envisioned for their number-one goalie.
In three games, the Avalanche have allowed 20 goals and have the worst team save percentage. However, on Oct. 11, they claimed Kaapo Kahkonen off waivers. He was a solid goaltender for the San Jose Sharks (and New Jersey Devils) during the 2023-24 season. But the Bruins have to be licking their lips at the opportunity to fine-tune their offensive game against Colorado.
Bruins Must Step Up on the Road
The Bruins need offense from more than just the fourth line. Their big-time players need to step up. With a leaky goaltending situation in Colorado, it’s the perfect opportunity to find a new gear and regain their scoring touch. The Bruins are 2-2 and have a crucial three-game road trip ahead against stiff competition.
