BY: MARISA KULIS
It’s been a literal roller coaster ride for the first month of the 2021 season for the Boston Bruins. We’ve had multiple games rescheduled. Almost all of the games have gone into overtime or a shootout, with plenty of surprises like David Pastrnak coming back early from offseason hip surgery. It’s just one thing after another. Here are the top three things you need to know going into the second month.
- Comeback Kings
The B’s have been fortunate enough to continue to win games battling night in and night out. They start the game pretty slow, then ramp it up throughout the second period showing some kind of life in them. When the Ford Final Five is announced by Jack Edwards and Andy Brickley, the fans brace for a heart-pounding final five minutes of the game with the Bruins coming out on top in regulation, overtime, or a shootout. Typically fans would say their style is hard-hitting, drill you into the boards, etc., but now coming from behind to win is turning into a trend, but how long can this trend last?
- Being a 5-on-5 team.
Over the last few seasons, the Bruins have heavily relied on the power-play to score goals and win games. During the 2019 playoffs, it didn’t work out so well for them, seeing that they lost Game 7 at home against St. Louis in the finals. Teams tend to buckle down and clean up heading into the playoffs, limiting their chances for allowing penalties. They simply cannot rely on the power-play to win games. They MUST be a 5-on-5 team like they were when they won the cup back in 2011. Coach Bruce Cassidy will be shaking up the lines for production moving forward, slotting David Pastrnak on the second line with David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk on the top line with Patrice Bergeron. Hopefully, we will see more out of players like Jake DeBrusk, Charlie Coyle, and Craig Smith.
- Goaltending
Before the 2021 season even began, people weren’t even sure what was going to happen with the Bruins goaltending situation. Tuukka Rask has been absolutely outstanding in net. There’s no denying that he’s been spinning on his head to make saves. Rask said, “HOLD MY BEER,” during overtime and shootouts to give the boys a dub. Also, we can’t forget Jaroslav Halak. He’s been doing very well for us this season as a backup.
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