The Boston Bruins’ first game of the season against the Florida Panthers was not very good. They did not dictate the pace, came out slow, and played like that for the entire 60 minutes. A slow start ultimately sealed their fate, as they lost 6-4. It is only the first game of the season, and there is plenty of hockey left and time to right the ship. Now, they’ll be shipping back up to Boston for the home opener.
It’s going to be a great night of hockey in the city of Boston. The Montreal Canadiens are coming to town, so there is no better time to get your first victory of the season. The Canadiens are coming off a crucial game the night before, so taking advantage of them entering the second of a back-to-back is crucial.
Take Advantage of the Canadiens’ Situation
Back-to-back sets can be exhausting, especially as the season goes on. It is a grind to play 82 games in the NHL and back-to-back games don’t make it any easier. For the Bruins, they had a travel day, as they returned from Florida and are gearing up for their home opener. As for the Canadiens, they’ll be traveling from Toronto to Boston. It’s certainly an electrifying way to begin your season against two division rivals and Original Six franchises.
Related: Slow Start Leads to Bruins’ 6-4 Loss Against Panthers
For the 2024-25 season, the Canadiens will play 15 back-to-back sets. During the 2023-24 season, they had a poor showing in back-to-back sets, posting a record of 7-15-2. Furthermore, they struggled mightily in the second game, going 1-11.
For the Bruins, this is good news and something that should instill optimism. Not that they won’t be motivated, as they’ll return to a roaring Bruins crowd that’s eager for hockey. With the Canadiens playing the night before, it’s important that they take full advantage, especially with fresher legs. Also, they’ll need to neutralize the Canadiens’ top line.
Neutralizing the Canadiens’ Top Line
The Bruins’ blue line is deep. The first game was an outlier, as the defense played poorly, but that’s likely not who they will be over the course of the entire season. As a unit, they’ll need to do a better job of boxing guys out and not allowing the Canadiens to get to the front of the net. Also, playing with more speed and a sense of urgency.
The Canadiens are a much younger team and have guys that can play with tremendous speed. One of those players the Massachusetts faithful are used to is defenseman Lane Hutson. For the Bruins to escape this game with a victory, they’ll need to neutralize the Canadiens’ top line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky.
This trio caught everyone by surprise last season. They were extremely good at generating offense for the Canadiens and the chemistry they developed was well documented. Among all forward lines, they generated the third most expected goals for (xGF) with 35.9 and averaged 2.87 expected goals for per 60 minutes. They exceeded those expectations, finishing eighth in scoring among forward lines with 40.
They are young, but play fast and have two goal scorers on the wings. Not to mention Suzuki is one of the best two-way centers in the league. The Bruins’ defense will want to be at their best, as these are the three best forwards on the team.
They can throw the pair of Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy out there to counteract with offense. Or give them Mason Lohrei and Brandon Carlo, who can similarly suppress the opposition, but push the play forward.
Starting Quicker Than the First Game
It is not training camp and it is not the preseason. The 2024-25 season is officially underway and the Bruins need to get into a groove. With this being a rivalry game, they will want to come out energized and get off to a much quicker start than the first game.
To briefly recap, the Bruins started slow against the Panthers and it completely took the train off the tracks. The first period was brutal, as they only had one of the first 15 shots on goal. During five-on-five play, they were out-attempted 25-9, outshot 15-4, couldn’t muster up any scoring chances and got pummeled in the high-danger areas. They just never made a play and never had the puck on their sticks. It’s something defenseman Nikita Zadorov touched on after the game.
“We didn’t play well. Obviously, they came [out] hot in their building,” he noted. “I don’t think we made a play in the first period [with] the puck. We lost every battle on the walls, in our zone, netfront, everything.”
The Bruins need to start fast. Whether it’s throwing a big hit and getting the crowd into it right away, feeding off of that is huge. They’ll want to play with better pace and have more jump in their legs.
Also, goaltender Jeremy Swayman is likely to make his first start of the season after signing his big contract. Home cooking starts now for the Bruins, as they have a good homestand coming up.
Fast Start Could Have Great Results
The Bruins need to throw the first game out the window and turn the page to the Canadiens. They will want to start fast and get the crowd into it right away. As they feed off that energy, they’ll want to take advantage of a team that’s played the night before. It’s going to be a great night for hockey, as it’s a division rivalry and an Original Six matchup.
