WILMINGTON, Mass. — In their first six games of the 2015-16 season, the Boston Bruins averaged more goals per contest than all but one NHL team: the high-powered, Alexander Ovechkin-led Washington Capitals.
Spurred on by a supremely effective power play, the Bruins have been able to ice one of the league’s most potent offenses over the season’s opening few weeks despite lacking a bona fide, top-flight goal-scorer. (Brad Marchand’s 24 goals paced the B’s last season.)
That’s the good news.
The not-so-good news? Just take a look at Boston’s defensive numbers.
While the Bruins rank second in the league in goal-scoring average, they sit second-to-last in goals allowed, ahead of only a Columbus Blue Jackets team that has yet to earn a point this season and already is on its second head coach.
They’ve allowed four or more goals in four of their first six games and, unsurprisingly, have dropped all four, including a 5-4 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night that prompted coach Claude Julien to criticize his team’s effort as “light” and “unacceptable.”
In net for each of those four defeats has been Tuukka Rask, who’s surrendered 22 total goals in his five starts this season. It’s been his worst statistical stretch, Rask said, since he was “7 or 8 years old.”
“You just have to be true to yourself and be honest with yourself,” the 2014 Vezina Trophy winner said after Thursday’s practice. “When you suck, you suck, and you get better. When you feel good, you recognize that, too. I think most of the time this year, it’s been the case that I haven’t been awful, but I haven’t been great, either.”
Rask’s self-evaluation was an accurate one. He’s certainly struggled (Wednesday was not his best game, nor was his loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning last week), but the defense in front of him has been inconsistent at best and downright nonexistent at worst.
Balancing offensive and defensive responsibilities has been an issue, as has simple communication.
“I’m not just saying it’s just an issue with the young guys, but with new guys coming into a team — new goaltender, new chemistry – I think maybe sometimes guys don’t want to speak up as loudly as normal,” said defenseman Torey Krug, who at just 24 already is viewed as one of the unit’s veteran leaders. “So, I think sometimes it’s just a matter of getting used to each other and things like that. (But) it’s not an excuse by any means, because we all have to be better, for sure.”
Playing a more offensive-minded game is all well and good. Bruins fans no doubt clamored for it after last season’s squad finished 22nd in the league in goals scored. But, as this new B’s team is learning, averaging four goals a game is useless if you consistently give up five.
“You’re second in the league in goals for,” Julien said, “and everyone’s been whining about us scoring more. We are, but what we have to do is we have to find that balance between scoring a little bit more but also remembering that we were a real good defensive team, and that when teams don’t score on you, they get frustrated.
“We’ve got to find that balance between the two of them, and right now we haven’t found that.”
Thumbnail photo via Michael Dwyer/Associated Press
