Some Bruins Thoughts During a Break in the Schedule
As the Boston Bruins four-day break between games after this past weekend’s games with the Buffalo Sabres were postponed because of COVID-19 protocols with the Western New York divisional foe comes to an end, here are some Bruins thoughts as we get closer to the first of two games at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers.
Speaking of the Rangers, following Monday night’s 2-0 loss at home to the New York Islanders, the Blue Shirts are 4-5-2 and sitting tied with the Islanders and New Jersy Devils in the basement of the East Division. I know, we’re barely a quarter of the way through the shortened 56-game schedule, but the Rangers are a team the Bruins shouldn’t take lightly.
They are young in goal, young on defense, but their forwards have been a big disappointment through the first 11 games.
Artemi Panarin leads the way with five goals and 10 assists, while Ryan Strome and Chris Kreider both have four goals. Nobody has more than two after that. Mika Zibanejad has been an early-season disappointment with one goal and two assists. Last season in 57 games, he had 41 goals and 34 assists. The Bruins defense will have to be on their toes to keep the Rangers in a scoring funk.
Bruins outdoor game around the corner
Hard to believe, but the Bruins outdoor game at Lake Tahoe, Nevada is coming up fast on the schedule. The fifth game of the season against the Philadelphia Flyers is 12 days away on Feb. 21 and it will be the second game on the weekend. The Vegas Golden Knights and the Colorado Avalanche will play the day before on Feb. 20.
The Bruins were kicking the tires on playing some of their home games outdoors in Boston, but ultimately it fizzled out. Call me a traditionalist, but games played outdoors don’t bring the same excitement as a game indoors, but this season playing outdoors I guess is a better option than not playing at all.
The schedule has to even out, right?
After the Sabres games were postponed, on Monday the league announced that they were extending the Devils stay in COVID-19 protocols, which forced the cancellation of the Bruins game at home against New Jersey on Feb. 15. The two teams are scheduled to play again at the TD Garden on Feb. 18 before Boston goes to Nevada. That game is still on. For now.
The Bruins have played seven of their 11 games on the road and begin a three-game road trip tomorrow night. After two with the Rangers, a trip to Long Island is on the schedule for Saturday night will close out the trip against the Islanders.
Think about this. The Bruins will play at most, one home game in the month of February and that game is still in question with the Devils. After their game in Lake Tahoe, Boston returns to play another game at the Islanders and two more with the Rangers in New York. After Feb. 18, the Bruins next scheduled home game is March 3 against Zdeno Chara and the Washington Capitals.
Will the NHL be able to reschedule all the games that have been postponed all around the league? Will the NHL be able to survive the outbreaks without it causing a league pause? Those are the questions. The good news for the Bruins is that to date, if there is even good news out of all of this, all three games that have been postponed are home games with no travel involved.
Quirky schedule with the Islanders and Rangers
The 2021 NHL season is one that is different from the new divisions with limited travel, to eight games against the same seven teams.
Boston has to have one of the weirdest schedules with the Islanders and Rangers. The Bruins play all four games against both New York teams on the road before either team makes a trip to Boston.
The backend of the Black and Gold’s schedule is going to loaded with home games, which in the big picture may not be bad with the grind of the shortened season and the playoffs beginning shortly after. If the Bruins make them, of course.
Tampa Bay, Montreal, and Toronto rolling early in the season.
Former Atlantic Division foes Tampa Bay, Montreal, and Toronto are at the top of their divisions early in the season.
The Maple Leafs (10-2-1) lead the North Division with 21 points and the Canadiens (8-2-2) are right behind with 18. The Lightning (10-1-1) lead the Central Division with 17 points.
Over the last couple of years, the Bruins and Lightning have been battling for the top spot in the division and they are the last two Presidents’ Trophy winners. Montreal has always been a bitter rival of Boston and the two teams’ games this season would have been the best games in a while between the clubs.
Toronto has been trying to catch the Bruins for years, but when they get the chance to play them in the playoffs, things usually don’t end well for the Maple Leafs. Losing those games with the Leafs on the schedule this season also means former Bruin Joe Thornton does not get a chance to play at the TD Garden. The former overall No. 1 pick in 1997 has been out with a rib injury early this season, but is getting close to a return.
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It would have been a fun year if the Atlantic Division was still intact, but we will have to settle for what we have this season and hope the NHL can return to their divisions and normal schedule for the 2021-22 season.