It is just eleven games into the season, and the Boston Bruins sit at 4-7-0. It’s already been a rollercoaster of emotions for fans. Starting with the optimism of opening night and a three-game win streak that had people thinking “maybe,” to a frustrating six-game skid that tested even the most loyal supporters.
Eleven Games In: What We’ve Learned About the Boston Bruins
That losing streak, however, came to an end in dramatic fashion with a hard fought and highly entertaining 3–2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday afternoon at TD Garden. One take away from that win, the success of this Bruins team lays squarely on Swayman shoukders
The Upside and their Skill and Fight
There’s some genuine fight in this group, both literally and figuratively. Tanner Jeannot and Ross Johnston’s spirited scrap on Thursday night was proof that this team won’t back down.
Offensively, the Bruins have talent. David Pastrnak remains one of the NHL’s elite scorers, capable of hitting 40 goals while also creating plays for others. Morgan Geekie has picked up right where he left off after last year’s 30-goal campaign, showcasing a quick release and natural scoring touch. Elias Lindholm brings stability down the middle, excelling in puck possession and faceoffs.
On the backend, the Bruins have defencemen who can activate offensively. Charlie McAvoy continues to be among the league’s most skilled blueliners. Nikita Zadorov adds a unique blend of size, toughness, and surprising mobility, while Hampus Lindholm and rookie Mason Lohrei both contribute with their puck-moving and offensive instincts. This is despite Lindholm’s recent move to the injured reserve.
The Downside is the Defensive Breakdowns
Defensive play has been the team’s biggest issue. Too often, coverage breaks down in front of the net, leading to high quality chances against. Costly turnovers and missed assignments have burned them repeatedly.
This group didn’t enter the season with sky high expectations, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t hope. Every successful team needs two things, that is consistent effort and a solid structure. The Bruins’ effort has been there most nights, it’s the structure that needs to appear more consistently.
The Swayman Factor
If the Bruins want to stay competitive, they need to ride their number one goaltender. Jeremy Swayman gives this team the best chance to win, and Saturday’s win over Colorado was proof. Despite being outshot 33–19, the Bruins came out on top largely because of Swayman’s performance. He made several key saves to preserve the lead and deliver a much-needed victory.
Swayman currently owns a 3.45 goals-against average and an .887 save percentage, these numbers that don’t tell the full story of his impact. He’s coming off a down year, one marred by inconsistency after a contract dispute that kept him out of training camp. Last season’s 3.11 GAA and .892 save percentage were uncharacteristic for a goalie of his calibre. Last night’s game in Ottawa was just a disastrous breakdown defensively in front of him. The Senators scored four power play goals, three of them coming in the third period of play. Swayman’s line from last night looks awful, but if you watched the game, you will see that none of the goals were on him. The sixth goal of the game scored by Nick Cousins was a rebound with four Bruin penalty killers standing in front of the net, while Cousins skated btween all of them picked up the rebound and scored.
If Boston wants to stay in the playoff hunt, they will need to rely heavily on their #1 goalie. He needs to play a large majority of the games in order for this team to be succesful. Last night proved that, with the sloppy team play in from of him, it will take an elite goalie to keep this team relavent into December. He has the talent to be a top 10 goalie in this keague, the Bruins need to put the success of this season on Swayman capable shoulders. They paid him to be a #1 goalie, now play him like a Number 1 goalie.
Main Photo: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
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