Boston Bruins: Without Vegas, Bruce Cassidy is Jack Adams Finalist

To the surprise of many, the Boston Bruins are one of the top teams in the NHL. Yes, the players are a large part of that. But, the role of Bruce Cassidy in his first full season should not be overlooked.

Currently, one of the league-leading teams in points, Bruce Cassidy’s Boston Bruins are firing on all cylinders and playing some great hockey. They currently stand second in the Atlantic at 35-12-8, with 78 points.

This season has entailed a long list of injuries, goalie woes, point streaks, and a roster packed full of rookies and young players. One constant has been Bruce Cassidy behind the bench. After taking over a little over a year ago, he has turned this organization around–for the better.

The Before and Now of the Boston Bruins

At the beginning of the season, many “experts” did not have high hopes for this Boston team, who squeaked into the playoffs last year and bounced in the first round. ESPN’s first power rankings of the season had the Bruins at 22 with a record of 44-31-7. Experts stated, “Having David Pastrnak signed is a good thing, but the defense is ragged, and Tuukka Rask can play only so many games. What’s going on in Boston?”

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The SportingNews’ preseason rankings had the Bruins ranked 20th, saying “it’s hard to imagine the Bruins as a playoff team this year.” A week into the season, NBC Boston’s power rankings had the Bruins (4-2-1) ranked 19th. This time with at least a little playoff hope.

After a Tuesday night victory over the Flames, the Bruins moved to second place in the entire league and only one point out of first. Safe to say this is a surprise to many and with no sign of slowing down.

Bruce Cassidy Should be a Jack Adams Finalist

Besides rankings and current positional standings, what Cassidy has done, in his inaugural season, to find success is remarkable.

There are a handful of rookies who have grown and become integral parts of the roster night in and night out. He has constantly shifted around lines before and during games. Cassidy is able to send a message to a player by changing their role and quickly get a positive reaction. He flirted with a “goalie controversy” early-on and handled it perfectly. The line chemistry that has been built with who he has put out there throughout the season is undeniable.

BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 3: Boston Bruins Coach Bruce Cassidy, center, smiles as he chats with players during practice and media day at the Warrior Ice Arena in Boston, Oct. 3, 2017. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Maybe most importantly, he has gotten the whole team to “buy-in” to another. You can have a good team or a team that gets hot at the right time. But, the “X factor” for what really makes a good team is when every player has the same goal and level of trust up and down the lines.

No one expected the Bruins to be where they are at this point in the season. If they finish this strong and top five in the entire league, Cassidy’s role cannot be understated. Any other year, I believe Bruce Cassidy is a finalist, if not winner, of the Jack Adams Award. However, the new team in town begs to differ.

Betting on Vegas

At this point in the season, Vegas Golden Knights head coach Gerard Gallant is the obvious shoe-in for the Jack Adams. Right out of the gate, the Golden Knights appeared to be on record-setting pace for an expansion team. They have done just that.

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Since the first month of the season, they have flirted with having the most points in the league and have been one of the top teams in the Pacific. Vegas already set the record for franchise wins in an inaugural season when they reached 34. They still had 32 games to play at that time. At this point, every win is a new record. All season it seems like we keep hearing “Vegas Golden Knights first team to win X games in X played during an inaugural season.” If they end up winning their conference, it will be the first time a team, outside the original six, has done so in their first season.

It also should be mentioned that Vegas is the only new team this year. In the past, most expansion teams were paired with other new teams and didn’t have the pressure of being the only newbies in the NHL. Gallant has done a great job organizing this team and finding success this season.

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I don’t believe anyone would say Gallant does not deserve the Jack Adams Award this season. But, imagine Vegas did not come into the league this year. Does Bruce Cassidy believe to be a finalist, if not the winner? I think so.