The last few seasons the Boston Bruins have been relying on one or two guys to handle the offense. Typically landing on David Pastrnak and, last year, Morgan Geekie. However, with the way the league is there is no way to put together a playoff team with just two good goal scorers.
Well, this season the Bruins may not have that much of a problem. In the first six games of the season, the Bruins have had 14 different goal scorers. This leads the league in terms of how many players have scored at least one goal.
Top Performers not Performing Right Away
Last season, the Bruins' top goal scorers were Pastrnak, Geekie, and Pavel Zacha. Before the Utah Mammoth game on October 8, none of those three players had scored a goal of any kind. Yet the Bruins were still 2-2 without any production from those three, and without their offensive minded defenseman Charlie McAvoy.
During the Utah Mammoth game, Pastrnak scored two power-play goals, as well as Geekie sinking another. Zacha joined in the fun of earning his first goal of the season as the Bruins romped the Philadelphia Flyers 5-1, keeping the Flyers winless on the season.
Depth Scoring
Even without Pastrnak, Geekie, and Zacha scoring goals, the Bruins were finding ways to get the puck in the back of the net. Most of the goals scored were during 5-on-5 play, however.
14 different Bruins now have at least one goal on the season. This includes James Hagens scoring his first career NHL goal against the Winnipeg Jets and Matthew Poitras scoring against the Utah Mammoth.
JJ Peterka, acquired from the Mammoth, didn't take long to find the back of the net for the Bruins, scoring on a nifty play against the New York Rangers and getting the game-winner in overtime against the Jets.
Pastrnak, Hagens, Peterka, Casey Mittelstadt, Fraser Minten, and Mason Lohrei all have two goals this season. Hampus Lindholm, Elias Lindholm, Mark Kastelic, Tanner Jeannot, Marat Khusnutdinov, Poitras, Geekie, and Zacha all have one goal this season.
Power Play Scoring Woes
The only issue behind all the scoring, is that before Pastrnak netted his first goal of the season, the Bruins were 0-for-10 on the power play. That trend ended during the Mammoth game, where Pastrnak netted two power-play goals, and Geekie added another in quick succession. Last season they scored 55 goals on the power play; this season they have just three in six games. Obviously, things can change, and they can figure out scoring on the power play once again, especially with McAvoy coming back from his six-game suspension.
Keeping Up with Everyone Producing
Fans are hoping that the Bruins can keep up the scoring and have everyone contribute to the scoring. However, the last two games of firing off six and five goals, respectively, could lead to burnout or people thinking that they can do everything and start turning over the puck.
The Bruins' keys to keeping up the scoring, with everyone contributing, are to stay out of the penalty box so they do not kill the momentum they get, and figure out how to get the puck in during the man advantage when they have those chances. It is not a bad thing that they keep scoring during even-strength; that is a good thing since they are staying out of the box. They need to get the puck in during the man advantage as well.
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