4 things the Bruins must do to return to the playoffs
COMMENTARY
Compared to the Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics, the Bruins may not be the most buzz-worthy team in Boston heading into their upcoming season. But there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic about the Black and Gold heading into 2017-18 – and beyond.
Sure, their only real big splash was re-signing David Pastrnak to a new six-year, $40 million contract on the first day of training camp. That move, however, put Don Sweeney and company in a good spot thanks to a healthy core of veterans (sans Torey Krug), along with some promising prospects like Charlie McAvoy, Anders Bjork and Jake DeBrusk.
With a strong finish in the final three months of the season under Cassidy, the Bruins are poised to build off of their return to the postseason last year. It is far from guaranteed, however, and a few things need to happen for that return trip.
Let’s take a look at what the Bruins must do to return to the playoffs in 2017-18.
Get early production from the young kids
The youth movement is well underway in Boston, but a good mix of veterans brings a solid nucleus to the roster.
Throughout the preseason, the acclaimed pipeline that Sweeney has built over the last three years showed what it’s capable of. From Bjork earning his spot with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron to DeBrusk sliding in with Pastrnak and David Krejci, and Sean Kuraly picking up right where he left off from the end of last year, the Bruins prospects showcased their potential throughout training camp. Add to that a returning Brandon Carlo and a Calder Trophy favorite in McAvoy, and you’ve got two top right shot defensemen.
A solid nucleus of youngsters gives Sweeney, Cassidy and company hope for the future. Still, the highly hyped B’s prospects need to contribute early.
Keep Tuukka Rask’s appearances between 55 and 60
With one or two starts on a given week, backup goaltenders have the toughest — and loneliest — job in hockey. Until Cassidy took over, the Bruins had a revolving door of backup goaltenders since Chad Johnson left following the 2013-14 season – the year Tuukka Rask won his first Vezina Trophy.
Rask had 58 starts in that Presidents’ Trophy winning season in Boston. Over the last three years, however, the Finnish netminder has appeared in 199 games.
But there may be a bright spot here. Anton Khudobin (7-6-1, 2.64 GAA, .904 SV%) followed up a strong end to 2016-17 – where he won six of his final seven starts – and nailed down the No. 2 spot behind Rask after a solid training camp. A good workload of 20-25 appearances and a better start to the season for Khudobin can only help the B’s cause.
Look for another left-handed blue-liner
This particular upgrade has been on Sweeney’s to-do list for quite awhile, but he hasn’t had a chance to pull the trigger on any potential left-shot upgrade. On the flip side, the trade block and free agency haven’t provided the best names to fill that role over the last two seasons.
Zdeno Chara still holds the top spot on the left side. Matt Grzeclyk will likely suit in for Krug (jaw injury) in the first week. Rob O’Gara has shown some upside, but still isn’t quite ready to take on a full-time role.
Given the other talent in the pipeline (that includes the likes of Jeremy Lauzon and Jakub Zboril), Sweeney does need to tread carefully if he wants to upgrade his left shot D before February 26th trade deadline. But an upgrade in this area is likely necessary.
Win the early gimme games
This was a problem during the last two seasons under Claude Julien, but it was quickly solved when Cassidy took over in early February. Still, the last thing the Bruins need is for this to reoccur.
Of their first seven opponents in 2017-18, only one made the playoffs a year ago, and that’s the defending Western Conference champion Nashville Predators. The following six games come against teams who finished in the bottom three out west – the Colorado Avalanche (twice), Vancouver Canucks and Arizona Coyotes – along with a matchup against Jack Eichel and the Buffalo Sabres, their first Atlantic Division opponent.
Every team will have to work out some early kinks. The Bruins’ favorable schedule in October gives them a chance to get on an early roll.
