Wow, it seems like it’s becoming the norm that at least one powerhouse team will struggle out of the gate to a disastrous start, only to start turning things around later. Last season, it was the Edmonton Oilers, and this year, the Boston Bruins took the mantle.
Much like Edmonton, the Bruins have turned things around, and funnily enough, it occurred after a coaching change. Or better yet, a coaching swap, as the St. Louis Blues jumped at the opportunity to snag Jim Montgomery while the Bruins rolled with Joe Sacco. So far, it’s paid off for both teams, and the Bruins have become much less of a headache to watch lately.
Yeah, plenty of players have experienced hot-and-cold streaks, so maybe that entwined with the coaching. Just a theory on my part. Anyway, what do some raw, general numbers say about how well the Bruins have performed, and what letter grade do they deserve?
I’ll tell you this: It’s a cumulative review, so I’m not going to be nice, even if the Bruins have played better hockey lately. They were a major disappointment to begin the season, and had they kept up those struggles, nothing but an ‘F’ would have sufficed.
Boston Bruins were a bad hockey team, but that’s hardly the case now
With 33 points as of Sunday, the Bruins sit at third in the Atlantic Division following what was a thrilling overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Yeah, the Bruins look like they’re in full force once again, but they’re still behind in goals scored and goals allowed, even if those numbers have been better since November 27th when they defeated the New York Rangers 6-3.
Plus, since Joe Sacco’s debut on November 21st, the Bruins have won seven games, showing us that this coaching change was necessary. That said, it’s tough to give the Bruins a bad grade just because they’re behind the eight-ball in goals scored vs. goals against.
Again, if Montgomery was still the bench boss, I’d have given this team a failing grade without blinking an eye. But, that hasn’t been the case, and Sacco has this squad playing the way we all expected them to.
That said, I’ll give Boston a resounding ‘B,’ but with the potential for that ‘B’ to transform into an ‘A’ if they’re still playing predominantly a dominating game come January 2025. They were tough to watch for a while, but now, I’ve personally been having a much more fun time paying attention to how this season might end up for Boston.