Boston Bruins: Glimpse At December, Projected Record, More

The Boston Bruins have a schedule with a good amount of winnable games in December. What is there to look forward to for the next month?

November was an up and down, and interesting month for the Boston Bruins in which they went 12-10-1. But now it is time to move on and get out of the slump they have themselves in right now. The B’s only earned three of a possible ten points in the final five games of November.

Upcoming December Games

Game 24: Dec. 1: BOS vs. CAR [W]

Game 25: Dec. 3: BOS @ BUF [W]

Game 26: Dec. 5: BOS vs. FLA [OTW]

Game 27: Dec. 7: BOS @ WSH [L]

Game 28: Dec. 8: BOS vs. COL [W]

Game 29: Dec. 10: BOS vs. TOR [OTW]

Game 30: Dec. 12: BOS @ MTL [L]

Game 31: Dec. 14: BOS @ PIT [L]

Game 32: Dec. 15: BOS vs. ANA [W]

Game 33: Dec. 18: BOS vs. LAK [W]

Game 34: Dec. 20: BOS vs. NYI [W]

Game 35: Dec. 22: BOS @ FLA [L]

Game 36: Dec. 23: BOS @ CAR [W]

Game 37: Dec. 27: BOS @ CBJ [SOL]

Game 38: Dec. 29: BOS @ BUF [OTL]

Game 39: Dec. 31: BOS vs BUF [W]

Notable Offensive Players

One of the main things that needs to happen for the Bruins to get going is, Patrice Bergeron get back to his normal self. He has been his normal self on the faceoff dot (59.84%), but not on the scoresheet. Bergeron has put up more assists than goals in every season of his NHL career, but his lack of assists may be having an effect on Brad Marchand. We’ve seen so many goals by Marchand set up by Bergeron and vice versa, but Bergeron only has three assists and six points this year.

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It could be said that seven goals in 24 games isn’t a lot for Marchand, but if Bergeron gets going, I see Brad Marchand scoring at a much higher rate.

Return from Injury

David Pastrnak will be another beneficiary if Bergeron’s production increases. The 20-year-old forward has 13 goals in just 19 games already this year, with little production from his linemate on the face-off dot. Pastrnak is on pace for 50+ goals right now, that pace could change depending on how Patrice Bergeron plays, as well as Brad Marchand.

Frank Vatrano will likely be back in the Bruins lineup, barring any setbacks, at some point in December. Vatrano had eight goals, eleven points, and a minus-3 rating in 39 games last season. He will likely become the second line left wing with David Krejci and David Backes. The thought of Vatrano scoring somewhat like he did in Providence like he did last year is very exciting. He had 36 goals, 55 points, and plus-21 rating in 36 games. Those numbers are astonishing.

Noel Acciari, like Zdeno Chara, also participated in the pre-game skate on Dec. 1. This is a great sign that his recovery process is moving well. His presence has certainly been felt on the fourth line this year with his physicality and well-rounded game. Acciari found some great chemistry with Tim Schaller and Dominic Moore while he was healthy, which he will look to build on when he returns.

Notable Defensive Players, Goaltenders

Zdeno Chara has exceeded the expectations of plenty of Bruins fans this season. The good news about Chara is that he participated in the pre-game skate today, Dec. 1. Unfortunately, he was unable to play against the Carolina Hurricanes. His presence will be felt when he returns to the first defensive pairing with Brandon Carlo.

Tuukka Rask will look to continue his incredible play into December. When November wrapped up, his numbers 12-4-1, a 1.64 GAA, .938 save percentage and 3 shutouts. Some of the best numbers in the league. He has clearly been the backbone of this Bruins team and he appears to be completely locked in. Tuukka is making his case for a second Vezina trophy come season’s end.

Notable Games

These may not be notable in the case of talent of the opponent, but the B’s play the Buffalo Sabres three times in December. Twice in Buffalo and once in Boston. In the last tilt with Buffalo, Jack Eichel was out and the game ended with a 4-0 Bruins win. This time around, there is a chance Eichel plays in all three games and we see a different Sabres team. There are also some other home and homes on the schedule. One with more than three weeks in between games, with the Carolina Hurricanes that starts tonight (Dec. 1 @ BOS, Dec. 23 @ CAR). Also, one with more than two weeks in between with the Florida Panthers (Dec. 5 @ BOS, Dec. 22 @ FLA).

Return to the Bell Centre

Game three against the Montreal Canadiens and the second at the unfriendly Bell Centre will take place on Dec. 12. Over recent years, the Bruins have not done well at the Bell Centre. Not to mention that the Canadiens are currently in first place in the NHL at 16-5-2. Like the Bruins, goaltending has been an immense part of their success as Carey Price has returned from last year’s injury with full force.

The first matchups of the year with the Washington Capitals, Los Angeles Kings and New York Islanders will also go down in December. Alex Ovechkin, Anze Kopitar, Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and John Tavares all in the same month, also within two weeks of each other. The Capitals are still proving to be a force in the Metropolitan Division, while the New York Islanders are sitting in the basement of the league with a record of 9-10-4. The Los Angeles Kings started off on a very rough note, but have turned things around. Lastly, the Anaheim Ducks sit in third place in the Pacific Division. There are some talented players in those games, but that doesn’t mean the Bruins can’t come out on top.

Record Prediction after December (See brackets): 22-14-3, 47 points

*Predictions made before game vs. BUF on 12/3*

Frank Vatrano and Zdeno Chara will hopefully be back sooner rather than later. Noel Acciari will likely be back too, but it is unknown exactly when that will be. When John-Michael Liles will return has yet to be disclosed. Those are a lot of positives. Overall, in my opinion, this Bruins December schedule is one with a lot of points they can salvage. A month that they could conclude with a pretty good record as well.

Next: Boston Bruins: Month Of November Roundup, Surprises, Standouts

There’s optimism that the Boston Bruins can turn things around and find some consistency in December, and possibly beyond. The returns of certain players will have a sizable impact on their efforts to hopefully prove that they are a team to be reckoned with.