Even the numbers prove the Boston Bruins are among the NHL’s standouts.
ESPN and NHL.com both slotted the Bruins at No. 3 in their latest NHL power rankings, with Boston holding the position in their pecking orders for the second- and third-consecutive weeks, respectively. The ranking period, which began last Thursday and ended Wednesday, was looking grim after Boston suffered an overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets and a setback against the Edmonton Oilers, but the Bruins re-asserted their strength with an emphatic win over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.
NHL.com’s Dan Rosen used statistics in his weekly “hit” and “miss” segments to illustrate why the Bruins are ranked so highly.
Hit: The Bruins have scored at least one power-play goal in 11 straight games (13-for-42; 30.9 percent). It’s their longest streak with a power-play goal since a 12-game run from Dec. 31, 1987 to Jan. 23, 1988.
Miss: The Bruins have won two of 13 games decided after regulation. They are 0-6 in games decided in a shootout.
Feasting on power-play opportunities has been key to the Bruins’ success, and they might sit comfortably in the top-two spots in the NHL power rankings if they fared better in games that go beyond regulation.
ESPN’s Emily Kaplan also chose a “stunning” statistic — David Pastrnak’s historic habit of helping the Bruins take early leads — to highlight why she ranked Boston third.
“David Pastrnak has scored the first goal of a game 13 times, by far the most in the league,” Kaplan wrote. “The player closest to Pastrnak is Nikita Kucherov with six.”
The coming power-ranking week will be busy for the Bruins, as they’ll host the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday at TD Garden, then visit the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Victories in those games might be enough for Boston to overtake the Washington Capitals and/or St. Louis Blues in the next NHL power rankings.
