Causeway Crowd
Fansided

Boston Bruins Are Excited About The Challenges Ahead

By Andrew Thompson

Apr 7, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) is congratulated by his teammates on the bench after scoring a goal during the first period against the Detroit Red Wings at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 7, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) is congratulated by his teammates on the bench after scoring a goal during the first period against the Detroit Red Wings at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Boston Bruins know they have got to be a better team than they were these last two seasons.

After all the regular season games were played, the Boston Bruins ended up a hair’s breath from the playoffs for the second straight season.  While the Bruins seemed to have a very solid offensive year, the Black and Gold finished 19th in the league on defense. Many Bruins fans couldn’t understand how the B’s missed the playoffs for the last two years?

Overall, the Bruins were hurt by a collection of simple mistakes. Those mistakes are evenly spread out among the players, coaches, and front office.  Players missed their assignments or blew their coverage. Coaches were too comfortable with under-performing veterans, and Bruins general manager Don Sweeney couldn’t find an elite NHL defenseman even with five first round picks in his front pocket.

The team has vowed to improve since they cleaned out their lockers at the end of the season.  So did the coaches and the front office. From what we’ve seen so far, the Boston Bruins have made their team better than last season’s squad. David Backes gives the Bruins a forward that can score like Loui Eriksson but also play like Matt Beleskey.

The only thing that hasn’t seemed to improve so far is the defense. Even with the buyout of Dennis Seidenberg, the team’s blueline is a virtual carbon copy of last season.

“Within the guys that we have, I think we can be better. It’s an important part of our team,” offered Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid earlier this week. “I think when you say collectively it’s not just our D-corps, but it’s as a team having that defensive awareness and focus. Obviously there’s a little more focus on the defensemen themselves, so I guess it will be a good challenge. There’s a lot of opportunity for guys to step up in that way.”

More from Bruins News

It will be a challenge early for the Boston Bruins. The B’s will be likely be without Torey Krug on opening night. Adam McQuaid will need to prove he can play top-four minutes. Kevan Miller will need to be ready to play a more consistent game against other teams’ top lines.  Also, Colin Miller and Joe Morrow will need to show the club they’re ready to step up and play big games.

Can they do it? We’ll know for certain once training camp starts. But the initial signs are looking promising, especially if Krug’s rehabilitation puts him ahead of schedule.

I’ve been a little hard on the Boston Bruins this offseason. As the readers have reminded me, the Bruins were very close in both years. They were the last team eliminated each time.  For me, it wasn’t so much lamenting the loss as in being frustrated over the waste of potential.

The Bruins have been nothing but positive during the summer, and it has started to rub off on me. Hopefully, the Bruins will have a solid turnaround this year.

Home/Bruins News