I will be the first to admit that if you told me that this Boston Bruins team would be the leader of the league this season, I wouldn’t have believed you. This season was looked at as a rebuilding year with a new coaching staff, new players joining the team, and veteran players returning. Sure, the past few seasons these Bruins have been great, but this season has been nothing short of remarkable. I was at TD Garden on November 25th when the Bruins won their 12th home game since the season began and broke the record for the longest straight home game wins. Since then, these players are continuing to break records left and right, but how? That answer is debatable, but here are a few important factors I believe have led to their historic season.
1. New COACHING STAFF
On June 6, 2022, head coach Bruce Cassidy was fired by the Bruins. I was shocked and disappointed but didn’t realize this change was just what the Bruins organization needed. Cassidy was the head coach of the Bruins since 2017 and led the team to six straight playoff appearances. In 2019, the Bruins were in final round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, but in his last season (2022), they were eliminated in the first round. This coaching change left a lot of questions and doubts in the minds of Boston fans; Star players Charlie McAvoy, Matt Grzelcyk, and Brad Marchand were all going to miss the beginning of the season recovering from surgeries. To make matters worse, no one knew if captain Patrice Bergeron was going to stay for another year. While the firing of Bruce Cassidy left the city of Boston in fear that there was no shot at us winning the cup, a new face appeared.
Jim Montgomery was hired as the new head coach of the Boston Bruins. His first head coaching job was with the Dallas Stars in 2018, but he soon got fired while battling alcohol abuse. After rehab, Montgomery got back into coaching as the assistant for the Columbus Blue Jackets, which then led him to the city of Boston. To say Montgomery has helped shape this team into one of the best to play hockey is an understatement. He seems to have a calm, cool, and collected presence on the Boston bench and helps form a sense of pride in the players. I don’t know all of his tactics, but whatever he is doing is working, as his team has now broken the record for all-time wins in the NHL and beat the all-time NHL point record.
2. veteran Players at their peak
I have been a Bruins fan since I could walk (thanks to my mom), and so I have seen many players come and go, get traded, or retire. The retirement of Zdeno Chara who I had watched since I was a little girl was sad, but I knew that this team was going to continue to push through. Patrice Bergeron became the new captain of the Bruins with his long time linemate Brad Marchand by his side. The two have been on the same line for YEARS now and they make a great duo. This season doesn’t change that. Earlier in the season, in a game vs. Minnesota Wild, the pair broke a Bruins record. They have been able to factor into the same goal 407 times, a record that was 406 from Phil Esposito and Ken Hodge. They have incredible chemistry together and have continued to show off their topnotch hockey skills and leadership ability this season.
Another key veteran player this season has been David Krejci. This is Krejci’s 16th season with the Bruins and he comes back after a year-long hiatus. He wasn’t just resting this past year; he and his family decided it was best he play for the Czech Republic national team. After conversations with teammates Bergeron and Pastrnak, he made the decision to return to Boston. He has been a key center for the Bruins’ second line, and while it may not show in the number of goals, he is incredible at setting up goals.
David Pastrnak. David Pastrnak has been one of the best players in the league for a few years now. He has amazing puck-handling skills, a killer shot, and a sneaky pass ability. However, this season has been his best BY FAR. He is currently second in the league for the number of goals (60) behind Connor McDavid (64). Also, he leads the Bruins in goals (60), assists (51), and points (111). When he scored his 60th goal, he became only the second Bruin ever to hit that milestone, besides Phil Esposito. If you know anything about Bruins hockey, you know Phil Esposito was one of the best players in NHL history. This season, David Pastrnak, has contributed tremendously to the success of this team. Scoring goals in what I feel like is almost every game and playing a pivotal role in power plays, he is certainly at his peak.
3. LINUS ULLMARK AND JEREMY SWAYMAN
Ully and “the bulldog.” These are the nicknames for the two Bruins goalies this year. After veteran goalie Tuukka Rask decided it was time to hang up his jersey, these two were eager to make their appearances. Linus Ullmark is the more experienced of the pair as he was drafted in 2012 to the Buffalo Sabres before the Bruins got him. On the other hand, Swayman is younger and has only ever been a Bruin. This pair is another reason why the Bruins are having such a remarkable season. Linus Ullmark has been a threat to every team since the beginning of the season. He can make huge, timely saves in net and leads the league in goals against average (1.89), save percentage (.938), and wins (40). Having him in net has been an amazing addition for the Bruins this year, as Ullmark is playing some of his best hockey ever. While Ullmark is having a record season, he is also accompanied by Swayman. Montgomery has rotated the goalies after each game to give each other a break, and Swayman brings equally enough skill. I feel like he had a rocky start, but has bounced back and come up huge in very important games versus very good teams. Having a pair like Ullmark and Swayman is another reason this team has been able to keep their goal differential so high and continues to win game after game.
While I have talked about a few of the records already broken this season, here are two more to show the true historic season: The Bruins have been the fastest team in NHL history to reach 50 wins (in 64 games) and the fastest team in NHL history to reach 100 points (in 61 games).
While these are a few of the key important factors I think have contributed to the success of this Boston Bruins team, these aren’t the only reasons. After one the games, I recently heard one of the announcers say something along the lines of “What is it about this team?” — the other one responded with what I think sums up this season: “Well that’s just it, they’re a team.” I can say something about why each and every one of the players has been an integral member of the team. That is why they are so good. Everyone has a sense of camaraderie, lifts each other up when one is down, and plays for one another. This year has been exciting to watch and it’s only the beginning. Playoffs begin in the next few weeks and this Bruins team is going in on top. The Stanley cup is coming to Boston, I can feel it.