Bruce Cassidy is delivering in a time of need for the Boston Bruins

Through a storm of injuries, the Boston Bruins’ skipper, Bruce Cassidy, is managing to steady the ship and keep the crew afloat.

The first month of the season for the Boston Bruins was far from ideal. The team is badly hurting, but managing to maintain a winning record. The team currently sits at 6-5-3 after Wednesday’s night loss to the Rangers. Though Bruins Nation expects wins regardless of the circumstances, the fact that the team can hold down the fort without a number of their top players is remarkable.

Things could be much worse

Due to the relentless wave of injuries, the kids in the organization were thrown into the fire and responded with some flames of their own. There have been ups and downs, but the young cubs have exceeded expectations and deserve some credit for the winning record, along with the few leaders left in the lineup.

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The team is not only exhibiting increased pace, but they have shown resiliency and won some ugly games by adding a side of grit with their speed. They pushed the best team in the Western Conference, the LA Kings, to the brink of a shootout before losing with no time left in overtime. After bending the knee to the Western power, they have taken 5 points out of a possible 10 in the last five games. This may seem modest, but points are points, especially for a young team trying to find an identity.

Where is this improved style of play and inspired hockey coming from? The answer is the man pulling the strings behind the bench, Bruce Cassidy. Cassidy was promoted to number one playcaller when Claude Julien was removed of his duties on February 7, 2017.

Since Cassidy took over, the team is 24-12-4 and managed to end their two year playoff drought with a late season push. Bruce Cassidy, known as “Butch”, has faced nearly insurmountable lineup challenges with all the injuries, but he has pulled numerous rabbits out of his hat to keep the Bruins in contention as they move into month number two of the season.

Guys who would normally be depth players are punching above their weight class to help bring balance to the limping team. So far, there have been glimpses of greatness from Tim Schaller, Frank Vatrano, Sean Kuraly, and Danton Heinen. Not to mention the young stars, Anders Bjork, Jake Debrusk, and Charlie McAvoy who are all progressing at a rapid rate, especially McAvoy who is on a more meteoric rise. These unexpected performances are resulting in an air of encouragement combating the negativity that would/should consume the team due to injuries.

New vs Old

This breath of fresh air contrasts Bs teams from the past few years when Claude Julien was calling the shots. Claude holds the most wins in Boston Bruins history with 419 and delivered a Stanley Cup during his ten-year tenure, all of which made the Bruins relevant again in title town. Julien will forever hold a place in the hearts of Bruins nation for these accomplishments.

However, he was unable to adapt as the game evolved and he failed to deploy enough youth and speed in the lineup resulting in an unmanageable load for the aging core to carry. In the end of Claude’s time behind the Bs’ bench, their game became slow and stale due to his reluctance to establish any type of youth presence on the team beyond David Pastrnak. After two missed postseasons, the Bruins management showed him the door in an effort to change their fate of missing the playoffs for the third season in a row.

Cassidy’s proven ability to develop young players in Providence where he posted a 197-128 record in five seasons as head coach won him a spot in the driver’s seat in Boston. Cassidy had a taste of head coaching in the NHL when a young “Butch” was given the reins to the mediocre Washington Capitals in 2002. He guided the Caps to the playoffs in his first season, but was given the boot after a poor start to his second season as head coach.

Since then, Cassidy has clawed his way back up the ranks from the OHL to the AHL before he was finally given another opportunity in the NHL with the Bruins. After fourteen years of paying his dues, Butch is back as head honcho with a vengeance, and he hasn’t taken his foot off the gas despite the bumpy road.

Cassidy’s ability to keep the engine firing and the car on the road while parts are falling off left and right proves that management made the right move in letting him take the wheel. The transition seems to be an upgrade from a beloved thumper held onto for too long due to sentimental value to a brand new top of the line SUV with style and versatility.

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Waze is still rerouting for the Bruins as the injury battle rages on.  But Cassidy is proving that he can navigate the uncertain road ahead and may offer the best chance for the Bs to arrive at their destination sometime soon.