The Bruins starting the season 3-0-0 is surprising given the fact they are without three important players in Brad Marchand, Matt Grzelcyk and Charlie McAvoy.
Boston, with a new head coach, rookies and some newcomers, has the best offense in the NHL. Yes, it’s only three games and yes, there still are 79 games to go, but the B’s have given plenty of reasons for people to think they are a legitimate threat to the Atlantic Division and the league. They beat the Florida Panthers — one of the top two teams to win the division at the start of the year — 5-3 at TD Garden on Monday. And even though the Bruins nearly let them come back, their “pack of wolves” mentality helped Boston hand the Panthers their first loss of the season.
Now we know the Bruins haven’t played fully healthy teams or legitimate threats (sorry, Arizona Coyotes), but these are the games they should take advantage of and win, especially while they’re shorthanded.
There’s still a lot to like from Monday’s win. Here’s a few takeaways:
The offense is rolling
The Bruins have 16 goals through their first three games, six more than the 10 they through the same stretch in 2021-22. Boston, as mentioned by Boston Sports Journal’s Conor Ryan, has had 12 different goal scorers, including four from the Bruins’ bottom six. Secondary scoring has been an issue for the last few seasons and relied heavily on Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak and Marchand for the offense. The “one-line team” narrative — at least through these first three games — seems to be long gone with the emergence of A.J. Greer, Pastrnak playing on the second line with David Krejci, and the defense even stepping in with some offense.
“It’s massive. It’s one of those things where you need all hands on deck. To have all these guys, some newer faces, some guys get off to good starts — I think we have, what, 12 goal-scorers now or something like that? It’s nothing but good things,” DeBrusk told reporters after Monday’s win.” … To have that many guys going is only going to help our team.”
Jim Montgomery isn’t afraid to blend lines
If you watched Monday’s game, you probably saw a mix of different line combinations on the ice. Fans were used to ex-head coach Bruce Cassidy switching things up when he wasn’t satisfied, and it’s clear Montgomery feels the same if he wants to see more from the Bruins. At one point, Nick Foligno, Krejci and Greer were skating together. We know Krejci elevates whoever he has next to him, and with Craig Smith beginning the season in disappointing fashion and seemingly getting benched for some shifts Monday after just 7:03 of ice time, Montgomery only did what he saw fit.
Pavel Zacha also got moved through the game, putting the forward with Bergeron and DeBrusk and moving Pastrnak with Krejci and Taylor Hall.
“We weren’t skating,” Montgomery told reporters. “I just wanted to try something different. Last game that was right-wingers. I switched tonight, it was left-wingers.”
Linus Ullmark kept Bruins in the game
Ullmark shined in his second start for the B’s with 38 saves on 41 shots. His biggest save came on a Sam Reinhart breakaway after some sloppy play by the Bruins. The goalie stood on his head and robbed Reinhart in the second period with the game tied at 1-1.
“Heat of the moment, you’ve just got to read and react,” Ullmark told reporters of the save. “I read him perfectly for that one and we capitalized on the next one.”
The sequence ended in a Bruins goal to make it 2-1.
“It was a turning point, right?” Montgomery told reporters. “Because we were able to extend the lead and you think the game’s over, but then you quickly realize about this league. It’s hard to win games. I thought we didn’t have our A-game, but good teams find a way to win games. And we did (Monday) against a really good hockey team.”
Ullmark also had a stellar save on Aaron Ekblad in the beginning of the game on a five-on-three. Without those two saves, Monday’s game could have gone much different for the Bruins. He truly kept his team in the game and stood on his head for the 60 minutes he was between the pipes.
Jake DeBrusk looks good
DeBrusk is playing much more confident hockey and even made a surprise return to the lineup Monday after suffering an upper-body injury last week against the Washington Capitals. DeBrusk told reporters that last season “freed” him and it’s clear whatever monkey that was on his back last year isn’t there any longer.
The forward amassed three points on his 26th birthday Monday, including two goals to help the Bruins to victory. His confidence is evident and was an impact player against the Panthers.
” … Obviously got confidence back in my own game. Just trying to do anything I can to help get wins for this team,” DeBrusk told reporters. “Obviously, the big guys out and things like that, we need everybody hands on deck, and I just want to be part of that.”
