Boston Bruins: Three wishes for the holiday season
This season has been good to the Boston Bruins thus far, but here is what the the team is hoping for in their stockings besides sharpened skates and a clean sweater.
The holiday season is here, and the Boston Bruins are headed for their Christmas break.
And as Santa Claus makes his journey from Causeway to Calgary to the Czech Republic, this is what the Boston Bruins should be looking for under their trees.
Wish No. 1: Health
As we head toward the second half, overall health will go a long way in dictating consistent play. Much of the game is about team chemistry and efficiency of special teams units.
A lack of injuries would open the door to effective development in this area, which will come a long way should the Bruins go deep in the playoffs. It may be an unrealistic wish for everyone to stay healthy, but avoiding season-ending injuries to any of the players would be ideal.
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Thankfully, however, the Boston Bruins do have great team depth, especially on the defensive end. Let’s hope the injury to Torey Krug is not severe.
Wish No. 2: Secondary Scoring
Sure, it has been amazing to see David Pastrnak pursue 50 goals. And I love that Brad Marchand is out of his slump, so to speak.
But if the Bruins want to lift the Cup this Spring, they’ll need significant contributions from all lines. It was already apparent during the December losing skid that they cannot rely on the first line entirely.
I’d love to see Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen make a run at 35 or 40 points. It’d be awesome to see David Krejci score a little more and get the recognition he deserves.
Wish No. 3: Winning Close Games
October was masterful and November was mostly strong. However, the last six weeks have left me scratching my head when it comes to team urgency.
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Since November 10, the Bruins have lost seven games in either sudden-death OT or a shootout. Every single one of those games has been at TD Garden. For a team that is a serious Cup contender, it is unacceptable to frequency lose close games like that, especially in their own barn.
I don’t expect the Boston Bruins to win every close game, however making a habit of falling behind and going to OT has proven to be their kryptonite.