Johnny Boychuk

2013-14 Bruins Season Predictions Part 3: New-Look Defense Will Be Fine

So now that Andrew Ference is an Edmonton Oiler, there may be some concern that the Bruins’ defense lost a step now that Matt Bartkowski, Torey Krug, and Dougie Hamilton are in as permanent fixtures. Each of those players are, for the most part, untested in the regular season and could be a wildcard with a regular 82-game season on deck. Don’t be fooled by their inexperience, because these three could make the defense more dynamic than ever before.

How the Bruins Can Eliminate the Maple Leafs in Game 6

The Boston Bruins can’t play like they did in Game 5 because if they do, there’s going to be a Game 7 and if there’s a Game 7–well, that’s not good.

The team has this problem with complacency. They start out strong, get ahead of their opponents, and then they stop. Everything stops, actually. They stop skating, stop hitting, and stop any type of effort that helps them to maintain a lead. It has been apparent in games this season and now the Bruins are doing it in the playoffs.

So here we go again.

Will the Boston Bruins Ever Fix Their Power Play?

There isn’t much to say about the 2013 Boston Bruins that hasn’t already been said—and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Prior to Tuesday night’s 4-3 shootout loss to the New York Rangers, the team was off to its best ten-game start in franchise history (8-1-1) behind a torrid goaltender tandem, contributions from all four lines and shrewd coaching from Claude Julien. For right now, the players are clicking and the Bruins are quickly becoming powerhouses of the Eastern Conference. So why does it feel like something is missing?

Because there is.

Bruins’ Defensive Depth Tested in Win Over Winnipeg

It didn’t take long for the Boston Bruins to call upon their seventh defenseman to enter their starting lineup. On Monday’s 2-1 shootout win over the Winnipeg Jets, the Bruins were forced to dress newly-acquired defenseman Aaron Johnson in place of Dennis Seidenberg, who was ruled out of the second game of the year with a lower-body injury.

Paired with Johhny Boychuk, Johnson made his presence felt early in the first period after connecting with a flattening hit on Dustin Byfuglien against the boards in Boston’s own zone. Johnson saw 15:14 minutes of ice time in his first game as a Bruin while spending time on the penalty-kill.