Boston Bruins: Players to be thankful for this season

Even with the rough start, Boston Bruins fans have a lot to be thankful for.

The Boston Bruins are currently sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and need to make some serious strides if they want to make the playoffs.

Even with the team’s struggles there have been some highlights and present surprises so far this season.

So in no particular order here are the things that Bruins fans should be thankful for this season.

Zdeno Chara

Chara isn’t putting up crazy numbers but with the injury bug that has bitten the team he has somehow managed to stay healthy. The veteran defenseman has 2 goals and 4 assists but his most valuable trait this season is his experience. With a boatload of rookies on the roster it is valuable to have a guy like Chara help players adjust to playing in the NHL.

The rookies

Speaking of the young guys on this team they have been thrust into the gauntlet and have been performing decently well. Charlie McAvoy has proven that his performance last postseason wasn’t a fluke. He has 2 goals and 8 assists and his ability to lay the lumber and score goals is a trait that all Bruins fans enjoy.

OTTAWA, ON – APRIL 12: Making his NHL debut, Charlie McAvoy /

Another standout is Danton Heinen. After playing 8 games last season and not scoring a goal he is now in the top five of scoring this season for the Bruins. With 4 goals Heinan has been performing well this season. Also, his ability to play on seemingly any line makes him one of the great young assets on the team. It seemed that being sent down to the AHL motivated the young winger.

Jake DeBrusk has also helped the Boston Bruins banged up roster. He had a great start to the season and mellowed out a little bit but has had a string of some good games as of late. He has 4 goals and 5 assists so far and has proven that he has some great hands and is able to make space in the offensive zone.

Finally, Anders Bjork is injured but proved to have some great skill on the ice. In 16 games Bjork has 3 goals and 6 assists and looks to be a top 6 talent already.

(There are so many young guys……. so to keep it short Rob O’Gara has been great stepping up for injured defenseman. Also, Sean Kuraly has been a great 4th line forward who always seems to energize the team.)

David Pastrnak

David Pastrnak has proven to be worth all of the $40 million extension he got this summer. He is a top 20 goal scorer in the league with 10 goals and also has 7 assists. Pastrnak is going through a little bit of a scoring drought at the moment but the Boston Bruins would be in trouble without him. His ability to dangle through defenders and his effective one timers make him one of the best forwards on the team and one of the best wingers in the NHL.

Brad Marchand

Speaking of one of the best wingers in hockey Brad Marchand is a top 5 one and also the best forward on the team. In five fewer games than Pastrnak, Marchand has the same number of assists (7) and has 8 goals. Marchand is going to be at the top of the leagues scoring leaderboard by the end of the season. His speed and hands are some of his most valuable skills. Also, his pesky attitude makes him a fan favorite.

Anton Khudobin

Khudobin has been having a surprise season to say the least. He is 5-0-2 on the season and has been the best Boston Bruins goaltender this season. With Tuukka Rask struggling Khudobin has been on a hot streak making dare I say Tim Thomas like saves. If Khudobin continues this performance expect him to be in the net for an extended period of time. He is at the top of the goaltender statistical leader boards but you have to factor in he has played fewer games. With that in mind, he is in the top 5 of the basic goaltender stats. It will be interesting to see how Head Coach Bruce Cassidy handles the Goaltender situation going forward.

Patrice Bergeron

Last and most certainly not least is Patrice Bergeron. The true captain of the team in my opinion. Early on this season the Bruins struggled without Bergeron.

Next: Local Roots: The greatest NHL players of all-time from Massachusetts

In his first game back he seemed to fall right in line and not miss a beat. His performance, as well as the teams, proved just how important of a player he is. Bergeron has 4 goals and 8 assists on the season, but once again his leadership on and off the ice is such a valuable asset. His presence on the powerplay is also valuable as he is such a great passer and absolutely amazing in the faceoff circle.

Home/Boston Bruins