The Boston Bruins have gotten off to a hot start to the season. They are 3-0-0, reeling off three impressive wins in a row. They look like a completely different team from a year ago and it all has to do with buying in. Here’s what’s stood out in the first week in the return of Tommy’s Takes.
The Bruins Have Bought In
The 2024-25 was as disastrous of a season as you could imagine for the Bruins. They finished last in the division, and they had a top ten draft pick. The Bruins lacked structure, discipline, and the special teams play was bottom ten in the league.
The script has been flipped, and this team is performing at a much higher level. This team is playing with defensive structure and the system in front of goaltender Jeremy Swayman looks better compared to the 2024-25 season. It’s a breath of fresh air to see. What it comes down to is buying in, and this entire team is buying into what head coach Marco Sturm is selling. Sturm touched on this at the end of their game Saturday night against the Buffalo Sabres.
“You can see it in the game today,” Sturm said. “Everyone is excited to play. Everyone works. We’re a family. You know, that’s what families do. We support each other. We help each other. And again, that was our message. I think that you guys, we feel it. The crowd, I think they can see it. Does it always end up in a win? No. But it doesn’t matter what’s going to happen, we want to stick together. And that’s our identity. Going back to identity, that’s what we want to have, and it’s fun playing that way, even if it doesn’t work out every night. They all buy in. I just have to repeat myself, because today was just a good example of how we want to play.”
The biggest thing for this Bruins team is forming an identity. It’s something that’s been lost for the last two seasons. Once you can establish that and keep building, that’s what good teams ultimately do. Look at the Carolina Hurricanes. Ever since Rod Brind’Amour was brought in to be the head coach, every player has bought into his system and what he wants out of them. They are systematically the best team in hockey.
The Bruins are buying in, and the results are 3-0-0 to start the season. Did anyone expect this? Probably not. But they did, and it’s remarkable to see.
Jeremy Swayman Is Dialed In
One of the biggest questions entering the season was what kind of season it would be for the Bruins’ number-one goalie. Would he bounce back? Can he live up to that contract? You can make a compelling case that the 2024-25 season was an outlier season, because the Swayman we are seeing to start the season is the one who earned his $8.25 million annual average value.
Related: 3 Things to Watch for in the Bruins’ Season Opener Versus the Capitals
Swayman was dialed in completely in the first game against the Washington Capitals. The Bruins’ defense in front of him was stellar, and he hardly ever had to shuffle from post to post. Furthermore, he finished the game with 3.4 goals saved above expected and helped the Bruins secure their first win of the season.
Both offenses were low-event during the game against the Sabres, but Swayman was still efficient. Not to mention, he made this crucial stop right on the doorstep.
It’s a short sample, but the Bruins are legitimately getting a strong start to the season out of Swayman. Swayman is third in goals saved above expected with 3.9. Furthermore, he has a 1.00 goals-against average and a .966 save percentage. Also, this is the first time since the 2022-23 season that he has put up back-to-back .950 save percentages in a single game. Tremendously locked in.
The Fourth Line Guys Impacting the Game
The Bruins have gotten notable contributions from many players. Elias Lindholm is having another hot start to the season and playing with a chip on his shoulder. He has been shot out of a cannon, and with each shift looks better and better. But the Bruins’ fourth line will be getting the most love. Are they playing as many minutes? No. Are they drawing the top pairing and top line guys? Probably not. But when your coach can put you out there and your on-ice impacts stand out, you are doing something right.
The Bruins’ fourth line of Marat Khusnutdinov, Sean Kuraly, and Mark Kastelic has been stellar. It is a perfect blend of relentless forechecking, sound defense, and speed. They’ve been effective as a line, controlling the play and displaying quality chances.
As a trio, they are out attempting the opposition 22-15, good for a 59.46 Corsi for percentage (CF%). Furthermore, they have delivered on quality, with a 1.03-0.24 expected goal differential and out-attempting the opposition in the high-danger areas (4-1).
Between Kuraly and Kastelic, they both lead the Bruins in CF% and expected goals percentage (xGF%), which is huge. You generally want to see that type of impact from your depth. Not to mention, Kuraly has been stellar on the penalty kill as well. You love to see it, capping off an extremely great week of Bruins hockey.
What a Start for the Bruins
The Bruins are 3-0-0 to begin the season, and there have been numerous bright spots to begin the first week. They are buying in as a team, and Swayman has been stellar. A grind of a week is ahead with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche, and Utah Mammoth.
