For the first time under head coach Jim Montgomery, the Boston Bruins are off to a slow start. They are last in the Atlantic Division with a 4-6-1 record. Compared to their 10-1-0 start in 2022-23 and 10-1-1 last season, it’s concerning. With a core led by Charlie McAvoy, David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, Hampus Lindholm, and Brandon Carlo, the Bruins should be better.
It is not just that they are losing, it’s how they are losing. The Bruins have looked disengaged and uncompetitive. After last night’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Halloween, Montgomery said, “We’ve got to be predictable to each other.” That doesn’t sound good. With a negative-13 goal differential through their first 11 games, the Bruins have not played well and they must be better.
Bruins’ Results Have Not Been There
Pastrnak leads the team in points with 10, which is expected. For the past two seasons, he has been the only player to score more than 30 goals and lead the team in points by a wide margin. Boston’s offense runs through him, but the rest of the group is struggling.
Morgan Geekie has one point after a career season in 2023-24. Trent Frederic and Pavel Zacha each have three points. Top center Elias Lindholm has one point in his last eight games. The production has not been there, and the team needs their best players to be their best players in order to get results.
During the 2022-23 season, the Bruins were excellent at five on five. They came at their opponents in waves and dominated possession. That season was an outlier, and in 2023-24, their five on five play took a dip and the Bruins finished in the middle of the pack in every statistical category. The Bruins have been one of the worst teams during five on five play this season and it needs to be better all around.
Bruins Have To Be Better All-Around
Issues that were evident last season, such as giving up high-danger chances and not controlling the pace of the game, are not only still lingering but have gotten worse. Despite adding depth down the middle and keeping last season’s supporting cast, they have not been good.
When it comes to generating offense, Boston ranks 28th in shot attempts and 23rd in expected goals for. Not only are they struggling with the quality of their shots, but they are lacking in the quality department as well. They’ve also scored the fewest high-danger goals at five-on-five, while allowing the ninth most (14).
Related: How the Bruins Can Weather the Storm Against the Hurricanes
The Bruins are coming off two lackluster performances when it comes to five on five. Against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night (Oct. 28), the team managed three shots on goal the entire third period. They followed that up by generating just nine shots on goal during five-on-five play through 60 minutes against the Hurricanes – granted, the Hurricanes are a solid team at even strength. Pastrnak spoke up after the game, saying, “We just weren’t good enough five on five at all. They were all over us, we got to be better.”
On top of their struggles at even strength, the power play ranks 25th in the league with a 14.9% success rate. Boston is a highly-penalized team, and their penalty kill ranks 20th in the league with a 76% success rate. Right now, everything about the Bruins needs to be better.
Is a New Voice Needed?
It’s too early to panic, but Montgomery’s seat has to be warming up. It is not just the slow start, but it’s how the team looks. It could be that the team needs a new voice behind the bench to right the ship. It worked for the Edmonton Oilers.
After a poor start to last season, the Oilers fired Jay Woodcroft and brought in Kris Knoblauch. Sometimes a new voice and new system can turn the tide. The Oilers turned things around and advanced to the Stanley Cup Final.
Montgomery is a good coach, and he has had success during his tenure in Boston. But given the team’s current record and poor execution, how much longer is general manager Don Sweeney going to stand pat? It’s very early in the season, but nobody expected the Bruins to be in this position.
Sharpen the Tools in the Shed
The Bruins are too good and too talented to be where they are in the standings. If things continue to tailspin, the team could start selling. They have the players and leadership to right the ship. They just need to execute better. If not, a change behind the bench could happen sooner than later before the season is lost.
