(Photo by matthewreid)
I feel like a broken record, but Saturday’s game reinforced the message I’ve been spouting for the past week or so: the Boston Bruins have that it factor, something intangible that makes you feel like they’ll come through in crunch time.
In the last six games, the Bruins have three comeback wins, three overtime victories (not including Marchand’s game-winner with 22 seconds left in regulation vs. the Flyers), and one statement performance against the defending back-to-back Cup Champs. Oh, and they just completed the seventh 6-0 homestand in NHL history. Pretty good, eh?
What’s more is that they’re doing it with mediocre goaltending and defense, and every single one of Don Sweeney’s trade acquisitions is contributing. Because the B’s have been missing McAvoy and Bergeron, two of their three best defensive players, it’s reasonable to cut them some slack in the defensive end. Tuukka Rask has not been stellar of late, posting an .890 save percentage over his last five appearances and an .884 over his last three, but some of that can be attributed to Boston’s poor defensive play. As a team, the Bruins have given up 19 goals in their last six games (~3.2 goals against per game), a significant bump from their season average of 2.56.
But the most impressive fact is that they’ve stepped up in the face of this defensive adversity. Most notably, Brad Marchand has been playing like a man possessed, netting five goals in the last four games. Rick Nash, Nick Holden, Tommy Wingels, and even Brian Gionta seem to be finding their stride after being traded to the B’s at the deadline, and three of the four have become legitimate contributors on the power play. The Bruins’ new additions have combined for 17 points through the last six games.
The B’s have shown that they can win games in a multitude of fashions, whether with stout goaltending and exceptional defense or explosive offensive production late in games. By taking some of the burden off of Tuukka Rask to stand on his head, Tuukka can play looser and (hopefully) not pee down his leg when the must-win playoff games roll around. Additionally, once McAvoy and Bergeron come back, the defense should return to elite status--Brandon Carlo simply isn’t cut out to be a top-two defenseman.
If you watched the 2011 Cup run, you know the ingredients were the same: sick defensive play, a solid foundation of veteran leadership, and an arsenal of offensive weapons. Tuukka Rask is no Tim Thomas, but, as they’ve shown in the last few weeks, the Bruins have the offensive firepower to overcome this deficit. Mark it down now: the Bruins will be the 2018 Stanley Cup Champs.
A little flashback to the burgundy (fourth) line of the 2011 Bruins team.
(Photos courtesy of Pinterest and SB Nation, stats via Hockey Reference)
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