After four days off, the Boston Bruins were back in action last night against the San Jose Sharks for the first part of their California road trip that will see them facing the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday, Oct. 21 and the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday, Oct. 22. The team entered the game on a winning streak to start the season after defeating both the Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators at home.
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While they came out of their two previous games with wins, it was clear there were still kinks being worked out. The Bruins struggled to stay out of the penalty box, taking a number of unnecessary penalties that could have been disastrous if it weren’t for a phenomenal game by Jeremy Swayman and a great job by the penalty kill.
The Bruins started their matchup against the Sharks strong, took the lead at the end of the first period, and never looked back. It was a great start to the road trip, and hopefully this momentum will continue into what is sure to be a tough matchup against the Kings on Saturday.
Keeping the Pressure
From the get-go, the Bruins didn’t show any sign of jet lag and brought the pressure early against the Sharks. The starting line of Matthew Poitras, Brad Marchand, and Trent Frederic got opportunities early. The three set the example early of keeping pressure and playing aggressively, and it paid off for the team. In less than 10 minutes, they had seven shots on goal.
The Bruins were aggressive through the neutral zone and it paid off for them, getting several turnovers and extending plays. They consistently crashed the net, getting second and third shooting opportunities, which turned into a goal at the end of the first period for James van Riemsdyk. Throughout the first period, the B’s controlled the flow of the game, had the most time with the puck and had the higher quality of scoring chances.
On paper, the Bruins are the better team, and they showed it from the get-go. There were still mistakes that were made and a number of missed passes, but the team never took their foot off the gas. They kept the pressure on the Sharks from start to finish, and in this game, they were able to do it without taking as many penalties as they did against Nashville.
There were some moments in the second period and at the end of the third period when the Sharks started to push to turn the momentum in their favor, but the Bruins were able to fight back and hold them off. It’s obviously still very early, but so far, this team is showing tenacity and fight in every period of hockey, and that is something to be happy about to start the season.
The Kids Are Alright
The Bruins have two and a half rookies this season after a strong preseason by their prospects. The half is Jakub Lauko who came into 2023-24 with 23 games of NHL experience compared to Poitras and Johnny Beecher who made their NHL debuts. The rookies played well against the Sharks. As mentioned above, Poitras was part of the starting line that got things going early for the team and helped set the tone with their aggressive, pressured style of play all game. Beecher picked up his first NHL point on an assist on Marchand’s goal. Lauko continues to make his presence known on the checking line with Milan Lucic and Beecher.
All three earned their spots out of training camp and preseason, and so far, they’ve shown the front office that they made the right decision. Poitras, of course, is only 19 years old and is too young to play in the American Hockey League (AHL). The Bruins have nine games to decide if he’ll stay up with the team or go back down to juniors. Right now, he’s showing no obvious reasons why he should be sent back down. He has not been perfect and still obviously has room to grow, but he’s keeping up with the NHL pace so far, is making plays, and taking advantage of his ice time. It’s still probably 50-50 on which way he ends up going, but his performance overall against the Sharks should be a checkmark in the “staying up” category.
Beecher has not seen as much ice time as Poitras, but is making the best of his limited time. Against the Sharks, he got more opportunities to play on the penalty kill and made an important play that led to a shorthanded attempt by Marchand. The more he can establish himself as a guy who can also contribute on special teams, the more likely he is to stay up in Boston.
They have not been perfect so far this season, and they weren’t perfect against the Sharks. But the rookies are learning from their mistakes and not letting them distract them or take them out of the game.
James van Riemsdyk (too early) Steal of the Offseason
Yes, the Bruins’ season is only three games old, but van Riemsdyk is starting to look like the steal of the offseason. He was signed to a one-year, $1 million contract at the start of free agency this past summer. He has made his career as a net-front presence with his 6-foot-3 frame, but was coming off of a bad season with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Through the first three games, he is well on pace to surpass his 12 goals from the 2022-23 season. He had two goals on the powerplay against Nashville and scored his third in the first period against the Sharks off of a rebound from a shot from Trent Frederic. He’s proven to be a valuable net front presence through the start of the season, helping the Bruins be aggressive and extend plays.
The Bruins obviously did not have the cash to make a big splashy signing this past offseason, but they may have hit the jackpot with van Riemsdyk. Other free agent signings Kevin Shattenkirk and Morgan Geekie were strong presences against the Sharks as well.
Strong Start to 2023-24 Season
Through the start of the season, the Bruins look like a team on a mission, a team with something to prove after their surprise first round exit in the 2023 Playoffs. Of course, so far, they have played against teams they “should” beat. They’ll face their first 2023 playoff team on Saturday when they play the Kings.
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But they have looked strong in these three games. There is still room to grow as these lines grow acquainted with each other and continue to generate chemistry. Overall though, the Bruins looked good against the Sharks. It was a good game for everyone, the forwards, the defensemen, and Linus Ullmark in goal. Even without Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, they don’t look like they’ve taken the huge step backward that many were expecting.