Boston Bruins: Victory Brings Confidence
The Boston Bruins are riding their season high four-game win streak as they continue their west coast road trip.
It’s been two weeks since the Boston Bruins made their coaching change. Bruce Cassidy got to work at once, putting the team through a series of practices where he pushed the tempo to a high level. He changed up the forward lines and found ways to improve the team’s performance.
The results speak for themselves. The B’s are averaging four goals a game, while letting in less than two. They’ve won all four games, and the Bruins are playing with a level of confidence we haven’t seen often this season.
“[Confidence] is obviously pretty high,” shared Bruins forward Frank Vatrano with the media after Monday’s practice. “We’re coming off a win and we’ve got a good winning streak right now, so I think we just need to keep paying attention to the things we’re doing well and we’ll keep having a happy locker room. So if we keep playing aggressive like we’ve been doing, we’ll be good.”
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Cassidy has tweaked the lines once again. Ryan Spooner‘s group have been bumped up to the third line. Spooner, along with Vatrano and Jimmy Hayes ( who has been his best game all season) have played solid (and occasionally inspiring) hockey since Cassidy took over the reins.
Cassidy has certainly since the change in the players. With the Bruins string of victories, they’ve carried themselves a little straighter on-and-off the ice.
“I see a little more hop in their step, simply because, like you said, when you win, people are happy,” shared Cassidy about the Bruins recent success. “We’ve scored a few more goals and I think every player likes to score, so I think those are their two biggest determining factors.”
“They got their break, too, and the guys get refreshed mentally and physically, so that certainly helped the last couple of days. So again, every team, like you said, has your ups and downs, so when you’re up, you tend to be a little more enthusiastic coming to the rink, and when things don’t go well, everybody gets a little more guarded.”
“So I guess that’s the easiest way I could put it. I hope they’re happier, and excited to come to the rink and excited to play, because that bodes well for us.”
The Bruins are still hanging on to the final wild card spot in the East. While their playoff position may be tenuous, there is certainly room to move up in the standings. With a win over Anaheim on Wednesday, they would supplant the Florida Panthers and be tied with the Ottawa Senators for second place in the Atlantic.
Next: Bruce Cassidy Knows How To Use The Bruins Properly
The Bruins are in a position that would have been considered folly just a month ago. The Ottawa Senators are hurting. The Montreal Canadiens can’t buy a win. Bruce Cassidy could actually help the Bruins to finish first in the Atlantic this year.