The Bruins are off to a steady start this season. They are currently sitting at a record of 20-15 with 40 points and second in the Atlantic. It was about the same at this time last year, when they were third in the Atlantic with 37 points and a record of 17-13-3. But we are not talking about the overall records today. We are talking about the records in terms of being outshot and outshooting the opponent.
The Bruins are 6-8-0 when outshooting opponents and 14-6-0 when they get outshot by opponents, this season.
How are they better when they get outshot?
How is it possible that they are so much better when they get outshot? Well, when getting outshot, the goalies of the other team are less likely to get more looks at the puck, unlike the Bruins' goalies, who face 30 shots a game.
While there are no actual statistics to prove that they are better when they get outshot, it is more of an illusion. The record of being 8 games over .500 when getting outshot is more than likely due to the higher-leverage shots that are taken by the Bruins than their opponents.
Which is shocking as often, as the Bruins often do not have as often high-leverage shooters. Yes, they have David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie. But other than that, there are no really strong goal scorers. Players like Pavel Zacha, Casey Mittelstadt, and Elias Lindholm have shown potential of being top goal scorers, but they are still growing and finding their place in the NHL.
Having fewer shots than their opponents is also sometimes a surprise tactic, as the fewer shots a goalie faces, the less they will be ready for those shots that come in from different areas on the ice. The Bruins are known for shooting from the hashmarks or face-off circles rather than straight on to the goal, which allows them to have more of a surprise with the less shots as goalies are more focused on the shots coming straight at them than the ones on their short or glove sides.
Another reason we could have a better record when being outshot is the goaltending. Jeremy Swayman is in the midst of a bounce-back year, currently owning a record of 14-9 with a 2.74 goals against average and a .909 save percentage. Joonas Korpisalo sits at a record of 6-6 with a 3.35 goals against average and .888 save percentage. While it's not Korpisalo's best year, he is still holding down the fort in the net. 11 out of the 14 wins being outshot came from when Swayman was in net, the other three from Korpisalo. The goals against the Bruins during that record are 60, while the Bruins have scored 68 goals against their opponents.
Why is outshooting opponents not as good as a record?
The Bruins are 6-8 when outshooting their opponents. Why are they under .500 when outscoring opponents? It is most likely due to the third-period shutdowns, where they let up the lead or start accepting what seems like 5 penalties in a row.
The goals against in the 6-8 outshooting record is 49 goals, while the Bruins have only scored 46, which means that they have a negative three differential, which means they are more than likely losing in some aspect of the shots, even though they are outshooting.
The Bruins, when they are outshooting opponents, are typically playing from behind rather than having the lead and just keeping the opponents from scoring anymore. It will be interesting to see if this trend is something that continues or if they can turn around when they outshoot opponents into wins instead of losses.
The numbers
I did some math to show how much the Bruins get outshot compared to them outshooting their opponents.
When outshooting opponents, the Bruins' goals against are 49 and goals for are 46, leaving them at a differential of negative one. The shots for are 453 and shots against are 344, which leaves them with a differential of 109.
When being outshot, the Bruins' goals against are 60 goals, and goals for are 68, leaving them with a differential of eight. The shots for are 463, and shots against are an astonishing 691, the differential at -228 shots.
The Bruins are not known to be the team to be outshot; they are the ones outshooting, but for this group of Bruins, it might be their new way of playing, as it seems to be working and allowing this team to show that they are ready to show the doubters wrong.