After a great start the Bruins are currently involved in a skid, dropping four out the last five. The Bruins are 12-8-2 right now and are in second place in their division. They are five points behind arch rival Montreal. In the eastern conference standings, the B’s sit in the eighth spot. It is still very early in the season; however one cannot help but be frustrated with their inability to score as of late. The team has only mustered five goals in their last four games. Last season the Bruins were picked to win the Stanley cup, however they struggled finding the back of the net all year. This is something Boston hopefuls will not want to go through again this year.
The upside so far is their intensity. The Bruins have come out this season and set a physical presence early and often. Some would argue that they are setting precedence because of what happened to their leading scorer last year Mark Savard, who has been inactive since late last year due to a vicious dirty hit by Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke. Others would argue that Cam Kneely is rubbing off on the squad and that’s what’s making them play so tough. Either way, this writer loves it. It is such an important aspect in the game of hockey to establish your team as a tough team. A team, that when others have to play you, they know they are in for a rough game, and the bruins have done just that. Led by tough guy Shawn Thornton and Mark Stuart, the Bruins are tied for sixth in the NHL with twenty one major penalties called against. In a recent move, the bruins traded defenseman Matt Hunwick for Colby Cohen, a big defenseman who played his college days at Boston University. Cohen is very much unproven, but has a big upside, and could potentially work his way into the Bruins lineup.
One of the biggest surprises of the year for the Bruins is their goalie situation. After Tim Thomas won the Vezna trophy in 2008/2009, he had a flop year last year and ended up losing his job to rookie goalie Tukkah Rask. Rask was stellar last year putting up great numbers and being a rock in net down the stretch. Rask came in this year as the starter, but after a rough first game against Phoenix, Tim Thomas took over and hasn’t slowed down. Thomas is 11-2 with a 1.5 gaa and a 95 save %. These numbers are mind blowing. And although Rask sits at 1-6, his numbers are quite good as well. Being a former goalie, this writer sees the Bruin’s goalie situation as a healthy competition that will allow for huge successes in the long run. The Bruins are built from the net out, and have the ability to do big things the rest of the year.
