Four Lessons Bruins Can Learn From Red Sox’s Rollercoaster 2024 Season

The Boston Bruins don’t have to search far for lessons they can put to good use heading into a new season.

All they have to do is take a short trip down Storrow Drive from TD Garden and head over to Fenway Park. Plenty of valuable lessons played out for the Red Sox inside the confines of the venerable ballpark this season.

The Red Sox endured a rollercoaster 2024 campaign. They were in control of a playoff spot at the All-Star break, but ultimately spent October from home watching postseason baseball go on without them for a third consecutive season.

Lessons emerged in the wake of the Red Sox’s shortcomings, and the Bruins certainly would be wise to learn from what occurred to one of the other professional sports teams in the city.

Here are four lessons the Bruins can take from the Red Sox and apply to the 2024-25 season:

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Playing Youngsters Can Pay Dividends
The Red Sox roster blended youth with experience, which not only benefitted them in the present but for the future, too. Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu both enjoyed impactful seasons and were in the American League Rookie of the Year conversation at points.

The Bruins shouldn’t be afraid of giving their youngsters more responsibility. They put veteran-laden teams on the ice in recent years while letting their top prospects develop primarily in the AHL, not knowing exactly what they can provide at the NHL level. Perhaps it’s time the Bruins give Fabian Lysell and Georgii Merkulov an extended window of opportunity in the NHL.

Jim Montgomery will also need to take a page out of Alex Cora’s book when dealing with younger players. Mistakes are inevitable for them as they learn on the job. But sticking with a young player, whether it’s Mason Lohrei, Matthew Poitras or John Beecher, while they take their lumps can help build their confidence and make them more prepared for when the playoffs come around.

Take Care Of Business At Home
Cora lamented the way the Red Sox played at Fenway Park this season — it was one of the differences in Boston not making the playoffs. The Red Sox, who historically have a strong home-field advantage, went a puzzling 38-43 in front of their home crowd.

The Bruins can’t afford a similar letdown at TD Garden, especially with several Stanley Cup contenders in the Eastern Conference.

The good news is that home ice has been a safe haven for the Bruins during the regular season. Boston is a combined 58-15-9 in front of the Bruins faithful since Montgomery took over. Unfortunately for Montgomery and the Bruins, that home-ice success hasn’t continued in the postseason.

Keep Stars Shining Bright
Trevor Story. Triston Casas. Rafael Devers. Garrett Whitlock.

All four of those players are critical to the Red Sox and they all dealt with injuries — Story, Casas and Whitlock missed significant time — which changed the trajectory of Boston’s season.

The Bruins have to do their best to keep their most valuable players on the ice and off long-term injured reserve. They shouldn’t shy away from giving 36-year-old Brad Marchand, who revealed he had three surgeries this offseason, maintenance days, not just in practice but for games, too. They also should keep a watchful eye over Elias Lindholm, who dealt with an undisclosed injury during training camp.

Even additional rest for David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy would be a smart move to keep them fresh. The Bruins want to be as close to full strength as possible when the playoffs start because that’s when the grind really begins.

Changing Approach Can Catch Opponent Off Guard
The Red Sox starting staff essentially tried to pitch backward. Instead of beginning an at-bat in conventional fashion with fastballs, Red Sox pitchers used breaking pitches before going to their gas to end a plate appearance. It worked so well for Tanner Houck, at least in the first half of the season, that he was named an All-Star for the first time in his career.

The Bruins appear poised to buck a recent trend, too. NHL teams recently have leaned heavily on speed and skill with the game becoming less physical over the years.

But the Bruins seem to want to bring a measured dose of physicality back into their play. Most of Boston’s offseason signings followed a similar theme with the Bruins bringing in players with size and strength, the most notable of which was 6-foot-6, 248-pound defenseman Nikita Zadorov.

Even newcomers like Mark Kastelic and Max Jones are in line to be fan favorites due to their bruising, hard-nosed play clearly outweighing the skill they possess.

Maybe this change in playing style will be better suited for the Bruins to make a long postseason run this season.