Boston Bruins: The goaltenders that’ll decide the Atlantic Division
The Boston Bruins fortunes in the Atlantic Division this season rest squarely with them.
So far, the Boston Bruins have managed to ascend to the top of the division and have remained there ever since, despite some iffy streaks along the way.
Of course, they have been lucky in that the Toronto Maple Leafs struggled enough that they eventually sacked their so-called saviour, Mike Babcock. The Buffalo Sabres, for all the off-season talk of turning things around, look to be very much the same team.
Over in Florida, the off-season arrivals of a big-name coach and big-name goalie with a contract to match have not quite led to the results we would have expected. They have improved, no doubt, but still seem more wild-card contender than true Stanley Cup challenger.
Perhaps most surprisingly, at least early in the season, was the fact that last year’s dominance by the Tampa Bay Lightning didn’t carry over. Of course, in recent times, they look much more deadly but the slow start means they are still playing catch up to the Bruins.
Now as we near the final run-in, playing strong defense and having a goaltender that can steal you a game suddenly becomes crucial.
Over the next thirty games, things tend to tighten up and one-goal leads replace the four or five-goal blowouts you tend to see earlier in the year.
For the Boston Bruins to maintain top spot in the Atlantic and a wild-card opponent in the first round of the play-offs, there’s a few goalies that stand out more than others as potential roadblocks, starting with the obvious trio:
The Atlantic contenders’ starters
In assessing the goalies that could make or break the Boston Bruins’ hold on the Atlantic Division, it’s impossible not to group these three together.
There are still plenty of fixtures between the top four teams in the Atlantic; in fact, the Panthers and Maple Leafs meet tonight.
Points taken from rivals within the division are going to be vital in the run-in and for that to happen; they will all be hoping their starting goalies are on-form. We have a look at what they have been up to of late:
Sergeri Bobrovsky (Florida Panthers)
In his three most recent outings, he’s conceded 3 or more goals; in fact, Sergei Bobrovsky hasn’t been living up to the huge contract the Panthers signed him to in the off-season.
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For a goalie with a career save percentage of 0.919 and goals against average of 2.46 coming into the year, he was expected to be a key piece of the puzzle in Florida. People did question the size and length of the deal, but the potential for age decline was the concern, not the immediate worry.
However, we shouldn’t rest on our laurels; Bobrovsky will be determined to turn things around and drag the Panthers into at the very least a secure wild-card position.
Right now, he sits at a goals against average of 3.26 and 0.897% as his save percentage and has found himself over-shadowed by his backup Chris Driedger.
Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Unlike his fellow Russian also playing in Florida, Andrei Vasilevskiy has been ever-consistent to his previous years’ play. While the offensive prowess of the Lightning often wins games, he still has to hold steady at the back.
He is among the best goalies in the league this year in terms of average Goals Against. This may speak to the Tampa defense as much as his goaltending but either way, with his team surging, it makes for concerning reading for Boston Bruins fans.
Frederick Andersen (Toronto Maple Leafs)
The final name on the list is the consistently inconsistent Frederick Anderson in Toronto. He has had yet another year where he showed strong enough form to be named to the NHL All-Star Game and then promptly conceded 29 goals in 9 games in January.
He still could factor in the Atlantic Division race though; he’s returned from the All-Star break looking sharper and the Leafs seem to have tightened up their defensive play, even if they still concede a lot.
Given the Leafs and Lightning meet three times before the season is finished, he really could be a factor in the Boston Bruins keeping their grip on top spot.
Carey Price (Montreal Canadiens)
While the Montreal Canadiens may be a bit of an afterthought and an unlikely team to even challenge for a wild-card berth, Carey Price could still rain on the Boston Bruins’ parade.
All of the top four teams in the Atlantic still have games left to play against Montreal and we all know that Price, on his day, can steal a game.
This is especially concerning as the Habs are showing improved offensive skill these days with the likes of Ilya Kovalchuk and Tomas Tatar rolling back the years in support of Nick Suzuki and Joel Armia.
For the Boston Bruins, their last remaining fixture against Price has to result in a win, while they’ll be relying on him to shut-out the Lightning in the final game of their season series.
Between Florida and Toronto, there’s still four more games with the Canadiens so there’s definitely still plenty of points on the table. If Carey Price can show the form that had people calling him the ‘best in the world’, it’s all good news for the Boston Bruins.
Not often you’ll hear us say that; it’s good news for the Bruins if the Habs win?!
Craig Anderson (Ottawa Senators)
While Craig Anderson is likely winding down his career and the Ottawa Senators look very much like a team that, although alright on their day, are a way off the play-off pace and likely a contender for the first draft pick this summer; they still hold some keys to the Atlantic Division race.
Much like the case with the Canadiens, both the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning still have another fixture with Ottawa, while Florida and Toronto have two each.
Those six games offer 12 vital points in the race for top spot (or at least a home first-round spot) in the Atlantic.
Joonas Korpisalo/Elvis Merzlikins (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Not only are these two the form pairing in the whole of the NHL lately, they have a real chance to play spoiler despite not being in the Atlantic.
All of the top four contenders still have a game to play against Columbus, but more importantly for Boston Bruins fans, the Lightning have to play them three more times this season.
Since January 1st, Elvis Merzlikins has faced 360 shots (only Carey Price has faced more in that time) and only conceded 20. In his 11 starts, he’s led the Blue Jackets to 9 wins with an elite save percentage of 0.944.
Whether it’s a streak that ends or whether it’s sustainable is still a question that hasn’t been answered, but right now, there’s no better goalie in the league.
Joonas Korpisalo is no slouch either and although he didn’t see any ice-time in January, he finished up the previous month with a stellar 1.94 goals against average and save percentage of 0.932.
With his return from injury expected very soon, the Blue Jackets have a very dangerous pair of goaltenders back-stopping the team. Dangerous for their opposition, at least!
Both are in contract years and you’d expect them to both be highly motivated to keep performing at the same level, especially with the Blue Jackets starting to make a little noise within their own division.
With the Carolina Hurricanes, New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers all hot on Columbus’ tail, it’s a safe bet that their young goaltenders will be intensely focused on the job at hand.
David Rittich/Cam Talbot (Calgary Flames)
The Calgary Flames are very much in the spot to play spoiler for either the Boston Bruins or Tampa Bay Lightning. Florida have one game left versus the Flames, while Tampa and Boston both face them twice in this final stretch.
David Rittich is proving that last year wasn’t just a flash in the pan and that he is genuine NHL starters’ material. Granted, he conceded 6 in the recent ‘Battle of Alberta’ but that was likely a result of coming in cold after the GOALIE FIGHT that night!
The big Czech goalie has proven himself consistent this year, even when the Flames players in front of him have epitomised inconsistency. In 38 starts, he’s managed to tally 20 wins including 2 shut-outs.
With a save percentage of 0.910, he’s not your top-tier NHL goaltender but he’s nothing to laugh about. That, after all, is a more impressive mark than the incredibly well-paid Bobrovsky this season!
When you look at his recent game log though, it’s fair to say Calgary are operating a 1A/1B type system when it comes to their goalies.
Cam Talbot is that able back-up and aside from getting into fights, he has had a strong last five games (ignoring the one with the game misconduct).
He may have conceded 12 goals in those last 5 games, but came away with 4 wins and an shoot-out loss, also keeping Chicago and Minnesota to just one goal.
We can’t quite pick who the Boston Bruins nor Tampa will be facing in the Flames’ net but either guy can come up big when they need to and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Next. Jack Studnicka is more than ready for the NHL. dark
All in all, the next 30 games are going to get very interesting for the Atlantic Division’s top four teams!