Boston Bruins Power Plays Opportunities Are Rare

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Following the Boston Bruins loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Friday Night, Bruins’ head coach Claude Julien made some comments that clearly indicated he was fired up about the lack of penalties that were called against the Ducks, and in favor of his team game-in and game-out. Unfortunately for the Boston Bruins, however, is this trend is nothing new within the NHL.

The Bruins are consistently near the bottom of the league in Power Plays Per Game, an undeniable fact that the Bruins simply can’t rectify. It’s hard to find a recent year when the Bruins were actually ranked anywhere but near the bottom in Power Play Opportunities per game, a fact that clearly is taking a toll on Claude Julien and his players.

Here’s a look at the Bruins Power Play Opportunities Per Game by year going back to 2009:

Next: 2009-10: Not Quite Last

2009-10 – The Total Collapse

Rank: 29

Total Power Plays: 265

Power Plays Per Game: 3.23

The Bruins had a pretty good season in 2009-10. With a 39-30-13 record and 91 points, the Bruins finished in third and went on to play the Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the playoffs. The Bruins won the series 4-2 before eventually meeting up with the Philadelphia Flyers. The Bruins went up 3-0 in the series before losing 4-3 in one of the most infamous-Bruins memories in history.

The Bruins weren’t quite last this season, ranking in 29th in the league in Power Play Opportunities per game with a total of 265, good for 3.23 per game. Finishing in 29th in the league in PP/G isn’t much better than finishing in last, however, and the Bruins would find themselves in a similar situation the very next year.

Next: 2010:11: The Bruins Won The Cup Without Help From The Refs

2010-11 – The Stanley Cup

Rank: 26

Total Power Plays: 265

Power Plays Per Game: 3.23

The Boston Bruins best season in the last 40 years game in the 2010-11 season. Despite finishing in 26th in the NHL, they found themselves with identical power plays and PP/G as their 2009-10 season with 265 total power plays and 3.23 PP/G. The Bruins found themselves once again in the bottom-five teams in the PP/G standings, a result that didn’t stop them from reaching their ultimate goal.

2011-12 – A Season To Forget

Rank: 25

Total Power Plays: 250

Power Plays Per Game: 3.05

The 2011-12 season was the highest finish in Power Play Opportunities Per Game for the Boston Bruins in recent years. Ranked 25th in the league, the Bruins received 250 total power plays, good for a 3.05 PP/G average.

The Bruins finished in first place once again this season, compiling a 49-29-4 record and 102 points. This season didn’t end as well as many had hoped it would have, however, with the Bruins losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Washington Capitals 4-3 in a seven-game series.

Next: 2012-13: No Love From The Refs And No Stanley Cup Rings

2012-13 – Lockout Shortened-Season

Rank: 30

Total Power Plays: 122

Power Plays Per Game: 2.54

The Boston Bruins finished in last place in Power Play Opportunities Per game in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. The Bruins received a total of 122 power plays and a 2.54 PP/G average in their 48 games that season, but it clearly wasn’t enough to stop them from returning to the Stanley Cup Finals against the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Bruins had a good season in 2012-13, compiling a 28-14-6 record and overcoming some tough challenges on their way to the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Bruins started off by beating the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games after trailing the Leafs 4-1 in the final 11 minutes of regulation in game seven. The Bruins then went on to beat the New York Rangers due to the emergence of Torey Krug. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Bruins met their toughest challenge yet; the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Bruins found a way to sweep the Penguins before finally meeting the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Bruins ended up losing the series 4-2, and the have failed to get anywhere close to the Stanley Cups Finals in the next two seasons.

Next: 2013-14: Rock-Bottom Once Again

2013-14 – Ranked Last in Power Plays Per Game

Rank: 30

Total Power Plays: 230

Power Plays Per Game: 2.80

For the second-straight season, the Boston Bruins finished in 30th place in the standings in Power Play Opportunities Per Game. The Bruins received a total of 230 power plays in 82 games, good for a 2.80 PP/G average. The Bruins would not be deterred from their mission of being the best team in the NHL however, as they went on to dominate the regular season.

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The Bruins somehow managed to finish in first place in not only the Atlantic division and Eastern Conference, but in the entire NHL that season. The Bruins won the President’s trophy that season with a 54-19-9 record and 117 points. The last time the Bruins won the President’s trophy prior to this season was the 1989-90 season when they compiled a 46-25-9 record and 101 points before losing the Stanley Cup to the Edmonton Oilers in five games.

The Bruins went on to lose to the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the 2013-14 playoffs this time around, showing that the President’s Trophy may be overrated as the only real season that matters is the post-season.

Next: 2014-15: Missed-Calls and Missed-Playoffs

2014-15 – Missed Playoffs

Rank: 29

Total Power Plays: 213

Power Plays Per Game: 2.60

The Bruins ranked in 29th in the league in Power Play Opportunities Per Game in the 2014-15 season with 213 total power plays and a 2.60 PP/G average. The Bruins also did something that no Bruins’ team had done since the 2006-07 season. — miss the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Just one season after winning the President’s trophy, The Boston Bruins fell to fifth place in the division with a 41-27-14 record and 96 points and outside of a playoff spot. The Bruins made a flurry of changes in the offseason that saw then-General Manager Peter Chiarelli, fan-favourite Milan Lucic, future-cornerstone defenseman Dougie Hamilton, and others ejected from the city in favor of a new regime.

Next: 2015-16: This Season Has Been No Better Than The Rest

2015-16

Rank: 29

Total Power Plays: 202

Power Plays Per Game: 2.81

The Boston Bruins are currently ranked in 29th in power play opportunities per game with 202 total power plays resulting in 2.81 PP/G. The Bruins are doing their best to overcome the odds that are set against them with referees not helping them, but recent-results haven’t been encouraging. Despite the Bruins being ranked so low in power play opportunities per game, however, the team is still in fourth place in the eastern conference and second in the Atlantic Division with a 39-25-8 record, good for 86 points.

Next: Claude Julien Mad About Referees Missed-Calls

Numbers don’t lie, and the Boston Bruins simply aren’t catching a break from NHL referees. The Bruins will continue to play their game the way they are instructed by head coach Claude Julien, but it’s only a matter of time before their frustration boils over and becomes too much to handle — an issue the NHL is looking to avoid amid all of their recent injuries and lawsuits occurring as a result of concussions.

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