The Boston Bruins are near the top of the Eastern Conference in part because they have gotten some quality performances from some surprising players.
It is crazy to think that we are already halfway through the NHL season. So far this has been a successful season for the Boston Bruins.
Boston boasts a 24-14-4 record which currently has them in 4th place in the Eastern Conference. When you factor in how stacked the Atlantic Division is this is an impressive feat.
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The Bruins have looked like a team capable of winning a Stanley Cup. They have some amazing scorers and some timely goaltending. When Boston is on top of their game they are nearly impossible to beat.
Now part of the reason Boston has been so good is because they have gotten some quality production from all over the roster. We are even seeing 4th liners light the lamp at a decent pace.
A team can’t rely on one line to do all of their scoring. Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, are having great seasons. David Pastrnak is looking like a heart trophy candidate for crying out loud, but a team needs depth if they want to go far in the playoffs.
That is where these players fit in. They plug the holes and do all of the little things.
Here are 5 surprising standouts for the Boston Bruins as we pass the halfway point of the 2018-19 season.
1. Jaroslav Halak
Jaroslav Halak has exceeded all expectations that Boston Bruins fans had for him. Halak is a veteran goaltender who seemed like he was destined to become a no-name backup, but he has had an amazing season.
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Halak had an amazing start which inflated his numbers a lot. He already has 3 shutouts this season. Halak has played in 23 games (2 more than Tuukka Rask) and has a record of 22-13-6 with a .926 save percentage and a 2.36 goals against average.
This puts Halak among the best goaltenders in the NHL. He is 5th in the NHL in save percentage and 3rd in the league in goals against average.
Halak has been great for the Bruins and has played more like a starting goaltender than a backup. There isn’t a lot more you could ask of him.
Even though Halak has struggled recently he has been a major part of the Boston Bruins success this season.
2. Sean Kuraly
Sean Kuraly has been lighting it up as of late. The 4th line center is known for laying hard hits and doing all the little things, but Kuraly is finding a way to score as well.
In Kuraly’s last 5 games he has scored 2 goals. For the type of player that Kuraly is this is great. I am not expecting him to be a top scorer, but it doesn’t hurt to have him lighting the lamp.
It is hard to dislike Kuraly. He plays the game the right way. You can sense his effort whenever you see him on the ice and he is willing to do anything for his team. If you need someone to block a puck, drop the gloves, fight in the corners, or score a goal, Kuraly is your guy.
Kuraly has 4 goals and 6 assists on the season which is pretty good for where he is on the Bruins roster. He has done so well he has even gotten bumped up a line.
One of Kuraly’s linemates is having a surprisingly good season as well.
3. Chris Wagner
When the Boston Bruins brought in Chris Wagner I wasn’t expecting a lot. I was expecting a guy similar to Shawn Thornton and by that, I mean a guy whose sole job is to drill opponents into the boards. Now Wagner does this very well, but he has also been impressive in other ways.
Wagner has a sneaky good wrist shot which we have seen a lot of as of late. This season he has 5 goals and 3 assists which once again for a 4th liner is pretty good.
All it took was one hit to make Wagner a fan favorite. The Boston Bruins were playing the Toronto Maple Leafs in an early December game. It was a chippy one and Wagner laid out Morgan Rielly. That was the night Wagner truly became a Boston Bruin
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Wagner has been a solid addition and has energized the Boston Bruins lineup.
4. Matt Grzelcyk
Matt Grzelcyk has been one of the Boston Bruins best defensemen this season. He has also been the most reliable.
With all of Boston’s defensemen finding a way to get hurt, Matt Grzelcyk somehow avoided the injury bug. The Bruins defense would have been in shambles without him.
Grzelcyk has also had a pretty good season in the offensive zone. So far this season he has 1 goal and 11 assists. It looks like Grzelcyk will be seeing career highs for scoring.
The thing that makes Grzelcyk a quality defensemen is his work in his own zone. Grzelcyk has been able to cut down on his mistakes and has been the Bruins best defensemen in their own zone.
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Grzelcyk may not be at the level of Torey Krug but he is on his way to being a really good NHL defensemen. Hopefully, Grzelcyk will have a good 2nd half of the season as well.
5.Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson
I didn’t expect to see Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson up with the Boston Bruins this season, but injuries have caused the team to improvise.
It is hard not to be impressed with JFK. He has etched out a role for himself on the Bruins roster. Forsbacka Karlsson has played on multiple lines and has shown that he is a flexible player.
JFK has played in 21 games this season and has 3 goals and 3 assists.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Forsbacka Karlsson stays up with the Bruins for the rest of the season. If Boston doesn’t make a trade for a 3rd line center or winger he will have a spot in the lineup.
So far this has been an impressive season for the Boston Bruins. With all of the injuries that they have had to deal with, I am very pleased with the team’s spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Here’s to a great 2nd half of the NHL season.