Boston Bruins Goal Differential Could Get Worse
By Jay Peterson
With a team goal differential of +2, their worst goal differential record since the 2007-08 season (-10), and an 82 goal decline from the 2013-14 season goal differential, the Boston Bruins could become a team that dips into the minus of this category at the end of the 2015-16 season. Why I say that is due to the fact that the changes that the Bruins made over the offseason did not make plus/minus matters any better. In fact, one could argue that things have gotten worse.
More from Bruins News
- Bruins release Prospects Challenge roster, schedule Tuesday
- Bruins bringing back familiar forward on tryout contract
- The Bruins should take a look at these four free agents
- NHL Network lists Ullmark as sixth-best goalie in the league
- The Lasting Legacy of David Krejci
Last season, there were only 5 Bruins players that managed to achieve a plus/minus of +10 or more. Two of those players, Milan Lucic (+13) and Carl Soderberg (+10) have left the team, while two others, Kevan Miller (+20) and David Pastrnak (+12) played for only half of the season. The remaining player in the top five, Torey Krug (+13) is an offensive defenseman that, on most occasions last season , was put in a position to score and not in a position to defend against the opposition’s best players. If you are wondering who is next on the team in plus/minus, there is a tie at +7 between Reilly Smith, another Bruins player gone, and David Krejci, another Bruins player that only played half of the season.
It is certainly worth noting that GM Don Sweeney did get rid of some minus players as well, but what stands as more important are the players that he picked up during the offseason. Matt Beleskey (+13) and Matt Irwin (+3) are the only plus players that the Bruins picked up while Jimmy Hayes (-4) and Zac Rinaldo (-9) were minus players last season. (stats found on nhl.com)
Live Feed
Puck Prose
Now, none of these stats should be taken too seriously. Beleskey was on a high scoring playoff team, in the Anaheim Ducks, so the high plus/minus might be more of a reflection of that than of him, individually. To that same point, Rinaldo and Hayes were on two teams that missed the playoffs, so one would expect players on these teams to be minus. This takes some of the blame off of Rinaldo and Hayes, but not all of it. Also, Matt Irwin was used by the San Jose Sharks much like Krug was used in Boston, so him being a plus player isn’t that surprising either.
In summary, the acquisitions this offseason don’t seem like anything special when it comes to trying to fix the Bruins goal differential issues. Hopefully, like others also believe, the Bruins had an off year in this department and will be back in the high pluses this upcoming season. However, judging on who we have lost and who we have gained makes that prospect seem more and more unlikely.
Want access to all things Boston Bruins? Follow me on Twitter @29Bruins.