Although the Boston Bruins started the 2020-21 NHL season without their top goal scorer, no one expected them to fire mostly blanks at the outset.
ESPN's Emily Kaplan identified the Bruins' failure to score in 5-on-5 situations as the biggest surprise of the team's opening week. The Bruins have scored two power-play goals and one short-handed goal so far this season. Their even-strength scoring woes certainly factor into their 1-1-1 record, and Kaplan proposes a solution.
"The Bruins are four games into their season, have played 189:58 of hockey and have yet to score a goal at 5-on-5," Kaplan wrote. "It's not ideal at all. To fix it, Boston could benefit from its defensemen getting more involved off the rush."
Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy and goaltender Tuukka Rask both insisted Monday night after their loss to the New York Islanders they're optimistic the offense soon will click.
The Bruins will host the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night at TD Garden, a venue which would be the perfect setting for Boston's first offensive outburst of the season.
