The Boston Bruins started November the way they finished October, on a roll. However, things didn’t finish the way they started for the Black and Gold. The final two weeks of the month were less than stellar for Jim Montgomery’s team as they hit a rut, losing four out of their final six games. Three of the losses were to teams in the Eastern Conference that are expected to be playoff teams, the Tampa Bay Lightning, Detroit Red Wings, and New York Rangers, while Boston suffered a disappointing setback to the Columbus Blue Jackets who outplayed and outworked them for a 5-2 win on Nov. 27.
As the calendar turns to December, the Bruins are hoping to have a better month and find a way out of their recent struggles. Here are three takeaways from November for the Black and Gold.
Bruins Slump Can Be a Good Thing
Losing four out of six for a team that hasn’t hit many roadblocks the last couple of seasons might be a good thing. Against Columbus, Montgomery tried shaking things up by pulling starting goalie Jeremy Swayman in the middle of the second period and trailing 2-0. Hoping to provide a spark, the move did not and Linus Ullmark allowed three more goals in the loss.
Boston never really faced adversity like this last season, until the Stanley Cup Playoffs when they blew a 3-1 series lead to the Florida Panthers and lost Game 7 at home in overtime. New captain Brad Marchand is going to be tasked with keeping the locker room together and leading them out of the slump. They will eventually figure things out, but adversity in the first two months is not a bad thing for the Bruins.
Bruins Need Reinforcements
If there is one thing we learned this month, it’s that the Bruins need reinforcements from outside the organization through a trade or two. A defenseman and a forward are needed and you could make the case on whether they need a center or scoring wing. Mason Lohrei played well early in the month, but as the month went on, his play struggled and he was sent back to the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL) when Matt Grzelcyk came back on Nov. 25.
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The defensive unit as a whole struggled in the second half of the month and they struggled with mistakes that were covered up by their strong goaltending through the first month. Clearing the puck out of the zone has been an issue as can carry the puck out of the defensive end. Up front, Matthew Poitras and John Beecher are settling into their new roles, but if there’s one thing general manager (GM) Don Sweeney could look to add, it’s a goal-scoring winger for the top-six. Of course, adding a center with talent like Elias Lindholm would be a good fit, but adding a blueliner and winger is a move that Sweeney should explore.
Matthew Poitras Bounces Back Nicely From Mistakes
When the Bruins kept Matthew Poitras in Boston, one thing we knew was coming were mistakes from the 19-year-old. Has he made some mistakes? Yes he has, but Montgomery has not benched him much as he has with other players, and for a young player in his first NHL season, Poitras has shown the ability to put mistakes behind him and move on.
That was never more evident on Nov. 24 against the Detroit Red Wings at the TD Garden. Poitras had his pocket picked clean by Alex DeBrincat at center ice and the Red Wings forward beat Swayman on a breakaway for a 2-0 lead. Montgomery sent him back out for his next shift and he drew a Detroit penalty with his relentless work in the offensive zone. He was moved into the top-six against the San Jose Sharks by his coach with Brad Marchand and Danton Heinen.
Poitras set up Heinen for the game’s first goal in the second period with a nice backhanded pass. Poitras finished with three shots on the net, he won 50% of his faceoffs and the line combined for nine shots on the net. It’s safe to say that he is growing quickly as a pro.
Overall, the first half of the month was good for the Bruins, but the end of it was not good. Montgomery and his team head into December with a tough game out of the gate against the Toronto Mape Leafs in Canada, then a quick turnaround against the Blue Jackets at home. Boston needs to start December like they did November if they want to stay on top of the Atlantic Division standings.