Sep 30, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron (37) is congratulated by teammate Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara (33) after scoring against the New York Islanders during the first period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Oh what a beautiful day it is; hockey season has finally arrived and the streets of Boston will be painted black and gold starting tonight against the Flyers. The collective sense of happiness for hockey being back will envelop the TD Garden as fans attempt to spur the Bruins to victory. However, amidst the eagerness awaits a reality Bruins fans might be unwilling to deal with; failing to meet their expectations to start the season.
As the Bruins begin their season tonight, they are faced with more questions than in years passed as well as being faced with the unenviable task of putting out a lineup where chemistry and communication is disjointed. The Bruins were already facing the uncertainty of how Loui Eriksson would fit in with the top line as well as trying to ascertain what combination of players would maximize the production of the third and fourth lines.
Now, within the last five days we have seen Johnny Boychuk shipped out of town for parts of no immediate value and David Krejci be placed on injured reserve due to an undisclosed injury and putting him out for at least three games. Chances are Bruins fans will be taken aback from the amount of new faces seen on ice as opposed to opening night last year. Here’s a look at the lines from morning skate today.
Lucic-Spooner-Fraser
Marchand-Bergeron-Smith
Kelly-Soderberg-Eriksson
Paille-Cunningham-Robins
Needless to say, expect the Bruins to have to go through some growing pains to start the season while they work to figure out how to achieve consistency. Some people might say the Bruins will not have time to recover if they don’t come out of the gates with a hot streak. The statistical approach would say the Bruins cannot afford a mediocre start and need to remain in the playoff picture by November 1st or else there chances of making the playoffs drop significantly.
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
Let’s take a second to understand though, the Bruins core is still intact and the majority of the leadership is still present and it should be expected that the group will eventually find their way. It’s important to recognize that even if this team has a rough start in the first ten games of the season that it should be seen as capable enough to be resilient and start clicking.
Ever since winning the cup in 2011, the Bruins have shown what ultimately matters is their performance in the playoffs; which in recent years has fallen under harsh criticism at times. Last year’s regular season and Presidents Cup trophy fostered expectations of at least making to the Stanley Cup final and when a sudden blow dealt by Montreal ended their season; a cold reality came into play.
That reality is the Bruins are going to make the playoffs one way or the other and how their roster looks going into the playoffs will determinate whether or not it could be time to panic or not. At the same time though, expect more bumps and obstacles to start the season than usual as the Bruins search for chemistry and stability becomes the storyline that dominates the first chapter of the 2014-2015 season.