While the whole hockey world chooses to believe otherwise, I will stand firm in my belief that these Boston Bruins are for real. The advanced numbers aren't always in their favor, but they have timely scorers, great goaltending, and a coach who seems able to get the most out of his players when they need it most. Those analytics can be a great tool, and sometimes they do come true, but the game still has to play out on the ice.
One set of analytics I think could eventually cost the Bruins is their defensive numbers. In a 6-2 romp over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night, you would think the numbers would favor a lot of the team. However, the three defensive pairs had lopsided analytics, and Marco Sturm may eventually have to address it.
Bruins' defensive numbers suggest Marco Sturm needs to shake up his pairings
It'd be tough to switch things up before Sunday's tilt against the Florida Panthers after that massive win over Pittsburgh, but let's not be surprised if the blueline falters soon and the second and third pairs regress a bit. Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy were great as usual on Thursday, but things weren't as good for the others.
Lindholm-McAvoy outscored their opponents 4-1, and they are the first pair for a reason, but if they performed that well in a 6-2 win, then you have to look at how the other pairs did.
It was a wash for Nikita Zadorov and Will Borgen, as they were on for no goals for and none against. However, the numbers suggest they were lucky to escape unscathed, as their xGF% was a disappointing 42.2%. Zadorov and Borgen can sleepwalk through a game, which can be good at times, but they took on a bit too much water Thursday.
Then, there is the young pairing of Mason Lohrei and Frederic Brunet. There are a lot of things to think about them, but I believe it comes down to Lohrei's inconsistency. Brunet wasn't disappointing in his return to the lineup, but Lohrei was the team's worst player analytically. It'll be interesting to see if his great start to the season starts to taper off after the first month.
There is a clear way to give these six a new look in hopes of getting a more even distribution. McAvoy and Brunet were partners throughout training camp, and it might be time to give the rookie a chance to prove himself. That would restore the Lindholm-Borgen pairing that held down the fort during McAvoy's suspension.
The third pairing would then be Zadorov-Lohrei, which would be worth trying until Lohrei shows that he is going through one of his down stretches, in which case you could give him a look from upstairs while reuniting the Zadorov-Clifton pairing for a game or two.
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