Boston Bruins: B’s emerge from three-game stretch in good shape

The Bruins had something to prove in a tough stretch with games against the Lightning and Leafs.

The Boston Bruins entered last Thursday with an all-important three game stretch ahead. Although it’s still very early, the three games looked like they could set the tone for the rest of the season.

The Bruins went up against their chief competitors in the Atlantic Division. Boston welcomed Tampa Bay on Thursday, and then they had a quick home-and-home series with Toronto.

All in all, the Bruins come out of this three-game stretch in good shape. And that’s without David Krejci in the lineup.

Thursday night saw the Bruins take on the Lightning. Tampa ran away with the division and the conference last season before their first round collapse. With pretty much the same roster as last year, Tampa remains the favorite in the Atlantic.

The Bruins jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, but Tampa battled back. The game eventually went to a shootout, where Tampa Bay secured the extra point.

Boston went toe-to-toe with the Lightning all night. Even with the final result, the Bruins showed they are more than capable of matching Tampa’s high-end talent.

The Bruins then moved on to Toronto to play the Maple Leafs for the first time since last year’s playoff series. Boston, of course, eliminated Toronto in seven games.

Boston outplayed Toronto for most of the night, and the Bruins certainly appeared to be the better team. The Leafs, however, benefited from some favorable bounces, so they finished with an overtime victory.

Fortunately for the Bruins, they didn’t have to wait long for a chance to avenge the overtime loss. The Bruins and Leafs squared off again on Tuesday night, this time in Boston.

Like the first game in Toronto, the Bruins were the stronger team on Tuesday. Boston’s forwards generated a lot of chances, and they capitalized on four of them. The Bruins won the game 4-2.

The victory against Toronto meant that the Bruins finished the three-game stretch with four total points. They earned at least a point in all three games, something that’s impressive given the competition.

More importantly, the games against Tampa and Toronto showed us that the Bruins are right there with the elite teams in the division. There are always questions coming off of a Cup Final loss, but the Bruins have answered them so far.

There are, of course, still things the Bruins need to fix. They remain a top-heavy team that needs more secondary scoring. David Pastrnak continues to lead the way up front, but who knows where the team would be without him.

Players like Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen did step up with goals against Toronto. This definitely needs to continue as the season progresses. Otherwise, the Bruins will struggle once stars like Pastrnak come down to earth.

That said, the Bruins should feel good about their start so far. They emerged from this tough three-game stretch still with only one regulation loss this season.

As long as the Bruins continue to battle like they did against the Lightning and Leafs, they’ll be set for another long season. Hopefully this one ends on a better note.