Boston Bruins
Morgan Geekie, Jeremy Swayman, and a number of other depth gamers helped Boston survive throughout this wave of accidents.
The 2025 Boston Bruins had a template for fulfillment earlier than the puck dropped on a brand new marketing campaign in October.
A variety of it concerned two of their franchise fixtures in Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak doing loads of the heavy lifting, night time in and night time out.
Such was the case for many of the first six weeks of the season. By 25 video games, Pastrnak posted 11 objectives and 29 factors — together with his playmaking capabilities spurring an influence play that has largely held courtroom as a top-10 unit within the league this season.
McAvoy recorded 14 assists in his first 19 video games this fall, with Marco Sturm’s decision to pair the BU blueliner up with Nikita Zadorov serving to to shore up Boston’s porous D-zone play.
On Nov. 15 — the final time each McAvoy and Pastrnak had been within the Bruins lineup — Boston sat atop the Atlantic Division at 12-8-0.
Since then, the Bruins have needed to trudge ahead with out their two prime skills. McAvoy has missed 10 straight video games after taking a slap shot to the jaw, whereas Pastrnak has been dominated out for 5 consecutive matchups with a lower-body ailment.
These prolonged absences may have simply spelt doom for a Bruins staff working with little margin for error given the state of their depleted roster.
As a substitute, the Bruins have gone a decent 3-2-0 within the 5 video games since each McAvoy and Pastrnak landed on the shelf.
It’s a powerful feat, contemplating that the staff they beat on Saturday within the Devils have plummeted within the standings (5 straight losses) since their star in Jack Hughes went down with an harm of his personal.
With Pastrnak and McAvoy now on the cusp of returning to game action, how had been the Bruins in a position to stay aggressive and intestine out these factors with out their two prime skaters?
Geekie, different top-six forwards stepping up
Morgan Geekie was candid final month when requested about how he’s dealt with the reward — and criticism — that has come his approach amid a breakout season.
“Folks assume that I’m nonetheless a Pasta service provider,” Geekie instructed Boston.com on Nov. 25. “So it’s what it’s. I imply, that’s all the time gonna be the shtick whenever you rating 30 objectives with participant like that.
“However I do know what I can do and the participant that I’ve grown into. … . I do know that I is usually a good participant on this league, after which when individuals are, ‘Ah, he’s solely good as a result of [Pastrnak’s] good. “He’s a world-class participant, and everybody is aware of that. Nevertheless it does take participant to click on with an ideal participant.”
With Pastrnak on the shelf, Geekie’s offensive surge hasn’t slowed down in any respect.
Within the 5 video games since Pastrnak went down with an harm, Geekie has scored 5 objectives to go together with 4 assists. His blistering shot hasn’t quieted down, with Geekie scoring his twenty second objective of the season on Saturday night time in opposition to the Devils.
However, the shot-first ahead has additionally taken on the onus as a playmaker over this newest stretch — serving to to arrange linemate Alex Steeves in Thursday’s win over St. Louis with a slick feed by the slot.
Geekie’s continued emergence as a respectable top-line weapon and 40-goal expertise has been a significant factor in Boston’s robust outcomes this 12 months.
However, a Bruins lineup that opened the 12 months with loads of query marks throughout its top-six grouping have all stepped up as of late.
After navigating their very own harm woes over the previous few weeks, Boston’s second line of Pavel Zacha, Viktor Arvidsson, and Casey Mittelstadt can be beginning to catch fireplace once more.
The case may be made that the trio has been Boston’s finest offensive line this season, with the Bruins outscoring opponents, 11-6, in the 166:07 of 5-on-5 ice time that the road has logged collectively.
After combining for 3 objectives in Thursday’s win over the Blues, this second line teamed up for a tic-tac-toe tally on Saturday in opposition to the Devils.
Elias Lindholm has additionally began to search out his recreation since getting back from injured reserve, recording eight assists over his final seven video games whereas successful 51 p.c of his faceoffs.
The Bruins are awaiting the day the place Pastrnak’s blistering one-timer and seam passes are as soon as once more dicing up defenses. However for now, the Bruins’ different prime forwards are doing their half to maintain this offense buzzing.
Depth scoring
As Nikita Zadorov famous after Saturday’s win, the Bruins’ strong play isn’t simply due to the Morgan Geekie Present.
“It’s depth. Clearly, all the blokes displaying up,” Zadorov said. “I imply, Geeks is de facto scorching proper now. Steeves is enjoying nicely. Our third, fourth line is enjoying very well as nicely. So, I feel each man chipped in. Clearly, there was a message in right here that you simply don’t have to do further. You simply bought to be your self. You bought to play your personal hockey.
“And we’re adequate to win video games like that. I feel when these guys, the expert guys, the highest guys, they’re out, you bought to depend on your system somewhat bit extra, and I feel our system units us up very well for the longer term and for the current.”
In what has been a recurring theme all season lengthy, Boston’s offense (eleventh in NHL with 3.13 objectives per recreation) has been bolstered by a number of secondary scorers stepping up when known as upon.
On Saturday, it was the third line of Tanner Jeannot, Fraser Minten, and Mark Kastelic who delivered, with Minten firing residence his fourth objective of the 12 months following one other efficient forechecking sequence.
That group has been Sturm’s most trusted shutdown line final season, typically tasked with tenderizing prime opposing strains with suffocating puck strain and a relentless cycle recreation. Over their 166:37 of 5-on-5 reps so far this season, the Bruins have solely coughed up two objectives … and scored six of their very own.
“I belief them after they play in opposition to the large boys. I belief them in some other state of affairs,” Sturm stated final week of his third line. “That’s what I’m wanting ahead for in a 3rd line. We’re nonetheless not there but, however they positively create their very own identification, somewhat bit.”
It’s not simply that grouping.
Different gamers like Mikey Eyssimont and Marat Khusnutdinov have additionally left their fingerprints over crucial wins this season, with Alex Steeves (five goals in his last six games) the latest unsung hero who’s making good on the chance supplied by Sturm.
One may argue that the Bruins banking on prime skills like Pastrnak and Geekie to maintain the offense rolling throughout 82 video games was an unsustainable strategy. It does turn into loads simpler when a number of different gamers oblige with pulling on the rope.
Nikita Zadorov continues to step up
An ill-advised penalty apart on Saturday in opposition to New Jersey, Zadorov has continued to be a difference-maker on a Bruins D corps that has needed to combat on over prolonged stretches with each McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm.
As spectacular as a Zadorov-McAvoy pairing was final month, one needed to query simply how efficient a reworked protection could be with Zadorov paired subsequent to a rookie in Jonathan Aspirot.
However in what has been a recurring theme all season lengthy, Zadorov has been a stabilizing presence each time he’s been out on the ice — with Aspirot additionally holding his personal as a gentle, no-frills lineup common.
In the 117:55 of 5-on-5 reps logged by a Zadorov-Aspirot D pairing, the Bruins have nonetheless outscored opponents, 8-3.
With McAvoy nearing a return sooner or later throughout this street journey, Sturm has loads of choices in the case of reuniting Zadorov and McAvoy, pairing Aspirot with a cell D associate like Mason Lohrei, or protecting the Zadorov-Aspirot tandem intact.
A peek below the hood at Boston’s defensive metrics nonetheless has just a few troubling indicators — with the Bruins currently last in the NHL in terms of expected goals against per 60 minutes at 3.71.
That factors to a Bruins staff that, even after they aren’t coughing up objectives, are vulnerable to letting opponents generate Grade-A scoring possibilities with some regularity.
However amid these rising pains, Sturm famous on Saturday that he’s been impressed with the buy-in he’s seen from his gamers because the 12 months has gone one.
“For me, it’s all about construction. That’s what it’s,” Sturm stated. “I personally skilled that in Los Angeles with the Kings. I skilled that within the minors. It’s simply that the system we play, the construction we play in, and when everybody buys in, a variety of instances, it doesn’t matter who’s out and in.
“In fact, you continue to want good gamers, don’t get me fallacious, however I’ve seen that film earlier than. There’s nothing we are able to do with accidents, however I feel the blokes comprehend it too now, that they’ll depend on that system, and it really works, particularly when guys are out.”
Stout goaltending
In fact, the best equalizer for the Bruins in the case of stacking wins and defying these poor defensive metrics has been the play of their netminders as of late.
Even with a poor outing in opposition to Detroit on Dec. 2, Jeremy Swayman has nonetheless gone 9-3-0 over his final 12 video games with a .928 save share.
According to MoneyPuck, Swayman ranks third among the many 80 qualifying goalies within the NHL with a objectives saved above anticipated fee of 18.8.
Swayman’s robust play between the pipes has helped cowl a few of Boston’s flaws thus far this season.
The duty of beating Boston turns into much more daunting when an already aggressive, stingy roster brings again a former 60-goal scorer and one of the vital full blueliners within the league.
“We’re hockey staff,” Fraser Minten stated on Saturday of the assertion the Bruins made overcoming these accidents. “And we’re right here to compete this season and push to be a playoff staff. We bought all the arrogance on this room that we are able to try this, and hopefully can proceed to play like that.”
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