Boston Bruins: Three gifts on the team’s holiday wish list

BOSTON, MA - DECEMBER 23: Patrice Bergeron #37 and Tuukka Rask #40 of the Boston Bruins celebrate the win against the Washington Capitals at the TD Garden on December 23, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - DECEMBER 23: Patrice Bergeron #37 and Tuukka Rask #40 of the Boston Bruins celebrate the win against the Washington Capitals at the TD Garden on December 23, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
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BOSTON, MA – DECEMBER 23: Patrice Bergeron #37 and Tuukka Rask #40 of the Boston Bruins celebrate the win against the Washington Capitals at the TD Garden on December 23, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

3. Most important thing for Bruins is health of top players

The number one thing on the Bruins’ wish list this season has to the health of the top players. Nothing is more important to the team’s success.

Boston already struggled with a few injuries this season. Krejci missed some time at the start, and it took him a few weeks to really find his game.

Jake DeBrusk was out for a few games as well, and this, coupled with Krejci’s injury, significantly limited his impact this year. The Bruins still wait for him to turn into another gear.

Most recently, the Bruins played without the services of Bergeron. He was in and out of the lineup with a lower-body injury. He looked good in his return, but the Bruins can’t afford to lose him again.

The Bruins need everybody in their top-six forward and top-four defenseman groups to stay healthy. Without them, Boston doesn’t have enough to make it through the Eastern Conference again.

We saw the impact of injuries last season. Pastrnak broke his thumb and never was the same player after. Even deep into the playoffs you could tell he wasn’t 100%, and that cost the Bruins in the Cup Final.

The Bruins already are one of the league’s top contenders, and they have the record and stats to prove it. However, Boston needs to stay healthy and make some key additions to reach the ultimate goal: a Stanley Cup.