The Boston Bruins struggled to start the 2024-25 NHL season. It felt that they were ready to contend for the Atlantic Division crown, as they have year in and year out over the last decade. Through 20 games, however, the Bruins had won just eight. These losses included some embarrassing ones: an 8-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, a 7-2 loss to the Dallas Stars, and a 5-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The last of these was the final straw for head coach Jim Montgomery: he was fired and replaced by longtime Bruins staffer Joe Sacco.
Related: Meet the Boston Bruins’ Interim Head Coach Joe Sacco
Montgomery’s firing was controversial among the Boston faithful. On one hand, something clearly needed to change, but on the other, Montgomery was just two years removed from a Jack Adams Award and had taken the Bruins to the second round of the 2024 NHL Playoffs. Whether it was the right decision or not, the Bruins have heated up since the coaching change.
Stringing Together Wins
During Montgomery’s time coaching the 2024-25 Bruins, the team was unable to string together more than two wins in a row, and they lost three games in a row on two separate occasions. These losses snowballing and the lack of ability to build on their wins was likely a major contributing factor to the decision to let Montgomery go. Under Sacco, this trend has completely reversed. The Bruins are 7-2-0 with him at the helm; they have not lost back-to-back games and they have won their last four.
The Bruins’ ability to string together these four wins should give fans a sigh of relief. There is a sense of belief coming back to the locker room and the fanbase, particularly considering that in each of their last three, they have found themselves trailing at some point in the game. A few weeks ago, an early deficit felt nearly insurmountable with the way the team was playing. The Bruins of late have looked much more like the Bruins we are used to.
Defensive Upgrade
Perhaps the most concerning facet of the Bruins’ play through 20 games was the fact that their defensive play was abhorrent at times. They allowed five or more goals in five of those games, including matchups where they allowed seven and eight. This combined with the fact that they struggled to find the back of the net was a recipe for disaster. This concerning defensive play has not exhibited itself in the Sacco era thus far. They have yet to allow more than three goals, and in the two games they lost they allowed just two in both. Part of this improvement could be a result of Jeremy Swayman getting his feet beneath him after missing training camp, but that aside the team has looked a lot more sound in their own zone.
Looking Ahead
The Bruins’ flaws that plagued them to start the 2024-25 season are by no means gone. Their power play has continued to look lethargic at times, and their 12% success rate with the man advantage puts them at 31st in the league. David Pastrnak’s one goal in his last ten games is simply not good enough: if the Bruins hope to compete in the Eastern Conference this season, they will simply need more out of their best player. Careless penalties have continued to plague them, too many of which have been perpetrated by Nikita Zadorov. Their other big offseason signing, Elias Lindholm, also needs to step up: his one goal over the last two months is nowhere near acceptable for a center making nearly $8 million per year.
It is impossible to pretend that there is not a lot that needs to be improved. That said, Bruins fans should be encouraged by the start of the Sacco era in Boston. Under him, the Bruins have found ways to win games and have begun to scratch and claw their way back into contention in the Eastern Conference.
