Fansided

Boston Bruins: Three big questions heading into the 2019-20 season

By Filip Canda |
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JUNE 03: Charlie Coyle #13 of the Boston Bruins celebrates his goal with teammates during the first period of Game Four of the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center on June 03, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JUNE 03: Charlie Coyle #13 of the Boston Bruins celebrates his goal with teammates during the first period of Game Four of the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center on June 03, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
2 of 4
Next
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI – JUNE 03: Head Coach Bruce Cassidy of the Boston Bruins looks on from the bench during the game against the St. Louis Blues in Game Four of the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Enterprise Center on June 03, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI – JUNE 03: Head Coach Bruce Cassidy of the Boston Bruins looks on from the bench during the game against the St. Louis Blues in Game Four of the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Enterprise Center on June 03, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /

The Boston Bruins lost the Stanley Cup Final just over a short two months ago. However, the fans and the players as well have already shifted their focus ahead of next season.

There are some interesting questions left on the table for the Boston Bruins. We picked up three questions surrounding the Bruins for the upcoming year.

Last year, the Boston Bruins went from seeming unlikely early on to even stretch to the play-offs to making it within one game of the Stanley Cup.

After a shaky start with the team struggling due to the injury woes of several key players, including Patrice Bergeron, Charlie McAvoy, Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug, the Boston Bruins then turned around and went on a lengthy winning streak.

In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Bruins took the advantage of the top teams being knocked out before having to really face any of them, and almost won the Stanley Cup.

However, that didn’t happen and the next season is already around the corner. What questions might the Bruins want to find the answers for?

No, this is not about Charlie McAvoy and his contract situation or David Backes. It’s more than clear what the Bruins have to do with those issues.

This looks to answer three much broader questions; whether the goaltending can hold up, whether the team can rely on youth for secondary scoring and such. Talking about McAvoy, Carlo and Backes has been done (a lot!).

TAMPA, FL – MARCH 25: Steven Stamkos #91 of the Tampa Bay Lightning shoots the puck wide against goalie Tuukka Rask #40 of the Boston Bruins during the third period at Amalie Arena on March 25, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL – MARCH 25: Steven Stamkos #91 of the Tampa Bay Lightning shoots the puck wide against goalie Tuukka Rask #40 of the Boston Bruins during the third period at Amalie Arena on March 25, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Can the Boston Bruins maintain the pace in the Atlantic Division?

The Atlantic Division has definitely gotten stronger, ahead of the new season. For the Boston Bruins, it will be much tougher company, compared to previous year. Indeed, the Bruins have been struggling within their division lately as it is.

In the 2018-19 season, the Boston Bruins lost three out of four head-to-head meetings with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning, overwhelmingly, took care of the whole NHL during the regular season. Nevertheless, they failed to deliver the goods as they got shockingly swept by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round.

What if, that’s always an intriguing question.

But what if the Lightning beat the Blue Jackets in, let’s say, comfortable fashion in only five games. Would they have been too steep of a challenge, almost impossible to overcome, for the Boston Bruins?

Don’t forget that Tampa Bay won eight of the last 10 head-to-head games with the Boston Bruins. And they just got stronger. Adding Kevin Shattenkirk and Pat Maroon, who Bruins fans certainly know well for his time in St. Louis, alongside shipping guys like Ryan Callahan or J.T. Miller certainly helped the issue in Tampa.

Last season, the Bruins went 2-2 against the Florida Panthers, while going 2-2 versus the Montreal Canadiens or 1-3 facing the Detroit Red Wings. All those teams, who missed the playoffs by season’s end, improved. It’s not going to be easy to handle any team in the Atlantic this year.

Of course, then there are the Toronto Maple Leafs, who improved, mainly on their defense. Adding a player like Tyson Barrie will make the Leafs look better on the blue-line.

Can the Bruins repeat the second-place finish in the Atlantic Division for the third straight year? Or can they even win the Division for the first time in six years?

ANAHEIM, CA – FEBRUARY 15: Boston Bruins goalies Jaroslav Halak (41) and Tuukka Rask (40) celebrate on the ice after the Bruins defeated the Anaheim Ducks 3 to 0 in a game played on February 15, 2019 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA – FEBRUARY 15: Boston Bruins goalies Jaroslav Halak (41) and Tuukka Rask (40) celebrate on the ice after the Bruins defeated the Anaheim Ducks 3 to 0 in a game played on February 15, 2019 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Will the goalkeeping continue to be elite for Boston?

The goaltending of the Boston Bruins; that’s the alpha and omega of their possible success. When Tuukka Rask has a solid goalie partner and suddenly didn’t have to carry the team on his back, it paid dividends for the team.

In the past, when the Bruins failed to find a suitable partner for the Finnish netminder, the Bruins missed the playoffs and struggled dramatically. That’s the reason why the Bruins paid the price and signed Jaroslav Halak to a $2.75 million-per-year contract. The Bruins know how important is it for them to have Tuukka Rask rested when needed.

More from Editorials

In the playoffs, the Bruins had a ton of success with Tuukka Rask being in the MVP form. He was just one win away from winning the Conn Smythe Trophy. The Bruins want to repeat that, to say the least.

Can Jaroslav Halak appear in more than 40 games during the regular season and help the Bruins as he did in the 2018-19 campaign?

For the 34-year-old Halak, the nerves shouldn’t be there anymore. He is going to be an unrestricted free agent next summer. Would the Bruins consider his trade before the Trade Deadline if the playoffs are near to being clinched?

One thing is sure if the duo of Rask and Halak can maintain their level of play, and, their extremely correct partnership, the Boston Bruins are going to be a very tough opponent to beat next year. Besides, the playoffs could be a clear thing and the absolute minimum marker of the season’s success, again.

BOSTON, MA – APRIL 25: Boston Bruins right defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) and Boston Bruins left wing Jake DeBrusk (74) salute the fans after Game 7 of the First Round for the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 25, 2018, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Bruins defeated the Maple Leafs 7-4 to advance to the next round. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – APRIL 25: Boston Bruins right defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) and Boston Bruins left wing Jake DeBrusk (74) salute the fans after Game 7 of the First Round for the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 25, 2018, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Bruins defeated the Maple Leafs 7-4 to advance to the next round. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Can the youngsters shine and spread the secondary scoring again?

The Boston Bruins top guns. Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Brad Marchand, Zdeno Chara, Torey Krug. If they deliver, everything seems easier. However, the same couldn’t have been said about the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, when the Bruins missed the post-season.

Even though those top guys had terrific years, or at least didn’t experience a David Backes-like drop in performance, it was still not enough. The key was the depth and secondary scoring.

With the ever-present salary cap pressure and the Boston Bruins management not offering the helping hand in signing Backes or Matt Beleskey to terrible contracts, the Bruins had to find the way elsewhere.

In the past two seasons, which can be viewed very much as prosperous ones, the Boston Bruins brought a ton of young talent to their lineup. The youngsters helped to provide offense and served the top players to relieve the amount of pressure put on their shoulders.

Jake Debrusk‘s addition was a success so far. Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo lead the way on the right side of the defense. Connor Clifton, Matt Grzelcyk, Karson Kuhlman; all were brought in with exactly zero expectations and they impressed big-time.

The current winning formula in the NHL is more or less about how many good youngsters on cheap contracts you can insert into your lineup. The Boston Bruins have been following that rule during the past two years. However many of them, just like Carlo, McAvoy or Danton Heinen, are already past their entry-level deals magic.

It’s time to pay them, which is, once again very difficult. Nonetheless, there are other new prospects on the way. Might Jack Studnicka, Jakub Lauko or even Samuel Asselin get their chance to shine?

Next. Something has to give on the blue-line. dark

Well, almost certainly, they will get the chance at some point but the most important thing is to take advantage of it. Will Bruce Cassidy continue to succeed with another bit of what often looks like calculated improvisation?

Next
Home / Editorials