Bruins Could Use More Production From These Two Forwards

The Boston Bruins have lost five of their last seven games and are slipping further behind the Washington Capitals and the New York Islanders in the East Division standings.

During the stretch that has seen the Bruins struggle to score, their secondary scoring issues that have plagued the team in seasons past is beginning to haunt the Black and Gold once again.

In their two wins during this stretch, the common factor was secondary scoring. Against the Flyers in a 7-3 victory at Lake Tahoe, Nevada on Feb. 21, Boston got goals from Nick Ritchie, Charlie Coyle, Trent Frederic, and Charlie McAvoy to back David Pastrnak’s hat trick.

In last Sunday’s 4-1 win at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers, two more goals from Coyle and one each from McAvoy and Frederic powered the victory.

Everyone knows just how good the top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak is, but they can’t do it alone. Here are two forwards that the Bruins could use more offense from as they look to snap out of their recent struggles tonight at the TD Garden with their second game in 48 hours against Zdeno Chara and the Capitals.

Jake DeBrusk

Yeah, I know. What am I thinking? Jake DeBrusk? Well, what I’m thinking is sooner or later that the 24-year-old will figure it out, right? For the Bruins’ sake, they better hope so.

Two years ago, he scored 27 goals, and last season, he was one goal away from a second consecutive season with a 20-goal campaign before the regular season was cut short when the NHL paused the season amid the coronavirus outbreak.

This season has been a major disappointment for DeBrusk. After signing a two-year bridge deal in the offseason for $7.35 million, he has fallen to the third line, and his inconsistency issues are bigger this year than in years past.

DeBrusk does have one power play for his only tally of the season, but more goals 5-on-5 would be beneficial for both DeBrusk and the Bruins.

Craig Smith

Don Sweeney’s one free-agent signing last October for three years at $9.3 million, Craig Smith does have four goals and four assists in 19 games, but a little more production would be nice. A 20-goal scorer in five of his nine years with the Nashville Predators, Smith does have 48 shots on net this.

Living up to his reputation of shooting from anywhere on the ice, Smith has bounced back and forth between the second and third lines at right wing. Yes, he does have four goals, but the Bruins could use a little more puck luck from Smith and see a rise in his production as a middle-six forward.

Secondary scoring has always been an issue that Sweney has tried to fix, but has been unable to. The Bruins need the current players on the roster to try and fix it themselves and hopefully beginning tonight.