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Boston Bruins: Takeaways from Bruce Cassidy’s interview with ESPN

By jc

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 13: Head coach Bruce Cassidy of the Boston Bruins watches the third period against the New Jersey Devils at the TD Garden on October 13, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 13: Head coach Bruce Cassidy of the Boston Bruins watches the third period against the New Jersey Devils at the TD Garden on October 13, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 22: After his 500th NHL game Tuukka Rask #40 of the Boston Bruins poses with teammates Patrice Bergeron #37 and Zdeno Chara #33 after the win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the TD Garden on October 22, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Defensive system focuses on layers

The Bruins certainly have been one of the strongest teams defensively over the past few years. They consistently finish near the top of the league for fewest goals allowed.

Cassidy attributed this success to the team’s defensive philosophy that Claude Julien instituted.

Boston doesn’t play a man to man system. Rather, the team utilizes layers to defend the opposition.

"We opened up things a bit more in the last few years offensively, but we tried not to lose our identity on the defensive side. For us, it’s all about layers."

What this means is that the forwards and defensemen don’t shadow individual opponents. Instead, they occupy their own areas in the defensive zone.

Ultimately, if opposing forwards break down Boston’s defense, they need to go through differ layers. They don’t simply have to beat their man.

The Bruins defense obviously benefits from the presence of Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron. Cassidy made that very clear. That said, the system more than anything else sets Boston apart from other teams.

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