The Bruins started the season with only one regulation loss in the first 10 games. The players look determined to make up for last season’s Cup Final loss.
The Boston Bruins picked up another win Saturday night when the St. Louis Blues visited town. The Bruins looked strong, and while the victory won’t change anything from last year, it has to be somewhat cathartic to defeat the team that ended your dreams last season.
The win over the Blues puts the Bruins 7-1-2 through their first 10 games of the season. They earned 16 out of a possible 20 points, good enough for second in the Atlantic Division.
One constant through the season has been strong goaltending. Tuukka Rask looks like the best goalie in the world right now, and Jaroslav Halak isn’t far behind. With those two in net, it’s no surprise the Bruins are first in the league with only 20 goals conceded.
David Pastrnak’s dominance is another constant for the Bruins. He currently leads the NHL with 11 goals, and he has 18 points in only 10 games. Pastrnak scored yet another goal in the game against St. Louis, so he shows no signs of slowing down.
With all that said, there’s really something else that stands out above all through Boston’s first 10 games. The Bruins clearly have unfinished business from last year.
We all know how last season finished. The Bruins made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. After six hard-fought games against the Blues, Boston had a Game 7 on home ice to win the Cup. It was all right there in front of them…but they came up short.
The Bruins players know that they missed an historic opportunity last season, and they seem intent on making it up for it this year. They look hungry to start the season, ready to right last season’s wrong.
All this was on display Saturday night against the Blues. Before the game, the Bruins insisted that the matchup with St. Louis was just another game. But, from the opening faceoff, it was clear that the game was anything but.
The Bruins made an effort to have their most physical game of the season. Zdeno Chara set the tone early with a big hit, and everybody else followed his lead. Ultimately, the Bruins fought their way to a 3-0 win.
The victory demonstrated what we’ve seen all year from the Bruins: a laser-focused effort from their top players. Rask was a brick wall in front of goal all night, Chara was a defensive force, and Pastrnak refused to stop scoring.
This was the same level of effort we saw in the first game in Dallas, the home opener against the Devils, and the most recent win versus the Leafs. Honestly, the Bruins really haven’t had a bad game this season. Their only regulation loss was in Colorado, where two goals were overturned.
The Bruins are an excellent team right now, and their great start helped ease some of the pain from last year. However, there’s only one thing that can make up for last year: a Stanley Cup victory this year. And the Bruins know it.