After crushing the Philadelphia Flyers 6-2 on Saturday, the Boston Bruins lead the league going into the All-Star break.
With 71 points and a 31-9-9 record, the Bruins lead the Atlantic, East, and League. Not bad for a team that was expected to “fall off” this season due to the retirement of key franchise players David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron in the offseason.
Goalie Linus Ullmark, as shown on NESN’s postgame coverage, remarked, “Well, it kind of goes to show the culture that we’ve had throughout the years and what Bruins hockey is all about.” Even though it really stinks to lose (Krejci) and Bergy, it doesn’t matter if we lose one or two men. Though it’s obvious that you can’t truly make up for those guys, I believe that a number of players, including Charlie Coyle and Trent Frederic, have improved significantly. (Brad Marchand) in addition. Pasta is pasta after that.
Three goals short of his career best, which he established in the 2015–16 season as a member of the Minnesota Wild, Coyle scored his 18th goal of the year in Boston’s victory over Philadelphia. The top-line centre for the Bruins played 16 minutes and won 42.6% of the faceoffs that were attempted. Coyle has won 51% of faceoffs this season.
With Jake DeBrusk out of the picture, Frederic was moved up to the front line with Marchand and Coyle. With the primary assist on Coyle’s goal, Frederic raised his season point total to 29, two points short of his career high from the Black and Gold’s historic season the previous year.
Jim Montgomery, the head coach of the Boston Bruins, has been harsh on his team’s performance, particularly when it falls short of his expectations, but he also identified three important aspects of the team’s success in the previous 17 games.
Montgomery stated, as seen on NESN’s postgame footage, “our togetherness, our intelligence, and our game management.”
Not every Bruins player will be able to take advantage of the whole break. Pastrnak, Montgomery, and Jeremy Swayman were all chosen to play in the All-Star Game on February 3 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
Although Ullmark is overjoyed for his goaltender partner, he made sure to make light of the situation.
“I know he loves the sun being from Alaska, so I’m a little sad that he gets to go to Toronto of all places instead of sandy Florida,” Ullmark remarked. “I’m overjoyed for him. He deserves it. Every day he is performing his duties. He continues to be modest, and I am so thrilled for him. Although I really wanted to be there with him, I believe he should be the one to go.
Ullmark stated he and his family will be taking advantage of the warmth of the Bahamas while Swayman is stretching his pads in Toronto.
This article about the Bruins leading the NHL in scoring heading into the All-Star break first aired on NBC Sports. Boston
Many teams in the NHL are overjoyed that the All-Star break is finally here. Most likely, the Boston Bruins are not among them.
Although the Bruins will benefit greatly from the nine days off as a mental and physical reprieve from the rigours of the regular season, this team is currently utterly overwhelming its opponents.
On Saturday afternoon, the Bruins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 6-2 away from home. Leading the offensive onslaught with two goals and an assist was David Pastrnak. James van Riemsdyk (one goal, two assists) and Pavel Zacha (two assists) both had strong performances.
With four goals in a 4:24 span in the first period, Boston really broke the game up.
The Bruins have won six of their last eight games heading into the All-Star break. With a 31-9-9 record that leads the league, they have a seven-point lead over the Florida Panthers for the top spot in the Atlantic Division.
Bruins centre Charlie Coyle told reporters after the game, “That’s what you want in that final game, you know (the break) is right around the corner, but you want to make sure we focus and do all the right things, play with good habits still.” “Having a strong game makes you feel lot better at the half. You can take a little more pleasure in the break after a victory like that.
The Bruins’ offence has been on fire since the conclusion of the winter break, after faltering to score goals on a regular basis during the first three months of the season. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Bruins lead the league with 73 goals in their 17 games from December 27 to Saturday. They also rank sixth in scoring chances with 470. At 28.9 percent, Boston’s power play also boasts the sixth-best success percentage over that time.
It makes sense that this squad will be evaluated primarily on its performance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Over the past 15 years or more, the Bruins have consistently had outstanding regular season results. Success in the postseason has proven to be considerably more elusive.
