This past week, the Bruins had to endure three games without their beloved left winger. This Wednesday however, Brad Marchand will be free from his rodent prison. In those three games the Bruins showed how important Marchand is for the team. With his return and a little extra fire in his belly from the suspension, the Bruins could be in for a holiday tear. Especially if someone else also makes their return soon.
The Bruins Shoot, Shoot, and Shoot, but Don’t Always Finish
Boston went 1-1-1 in their three games without Marchand. One thing that each of those games had in common though was that the Bruins outshot all three of their opponents. Normally, that’s a recipe for success in the NHL. However, when you take into consideration the quality of scoring chances plus the skill of the opposing goaltenders, then it makes sense why the Bruins did not come away with three wins this past week.
Boston is doing everything they can to generate chances, they just are not finishing them or taking them at the right time. Meanwhile, they are giving opposing teams what could be considered gift goals. Factor in a goalie standing on their heads against Boston and you get a Bruins team with only one goal in 40 shots. Despite those losses, I’d say this is a good sign for the Bruins.
In those three games, Boston was missing arguably their biggest playmaker in Marchand. I think with Marchand on the ice, the Bruins win against Detriot and Tampa Bay. Also for the Lightning game, Charlie McAvoy was out with a non-COVID illness. So being able to take the two-time defending champs to OT while missing your best playmaker and defender says something about your hockey team. As the Bruins enter their Western Canadian road trip, I expect their season to start trending upwards.
It’s Tuukka Time?
Tuukka Rask has been practicing with the Bruins as of late as he recovers from his offseason surgery. While technically not signed by any NHL team, it’s fairly obvious that if Tuukka is to play NHL hockey again, he will do it in Boston. Tuukka has been one of the best goalies of this generation, and even last year while battling injury he played very well all things considered. If Tuukka does return, that would be a huge boost for Boston.
While both Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman have played well this season, they have also been inconsistent at times. Tuukka can provide that consistency in net. But he could also bring a huge boost to the locker room. Tuukka has been a staple of the Bruins for the past decade, his return would not go unnoticed in the dressing room.
Only issue though is who will be Tuukka’s backup? The Bruins signed Ullmark to a fairly significant deal, they cannot exactly dump him not even a year into the contract. And with Swayman, does Boston really want to send him to Providence? While Swayman is still young he’s currently gaining valuable NHL experience, sending him down mid-season could hinder that. It will be interesting to see what happens in net for Boston, because I think if Tuukka can play, the Bruins bring him on no matter what.
Return of the Rat King
This Wednesday, Brad Marchand will return to play against Vancouver in the building where he raised the Stanley Cup. I expect Vancouver to go after Marchand, but I expect that to only fuel Marchand’s desire to be a one-man-army. As I already pointed out, Marchand is an invaluable asset to the Bruins. His return will infinitely boost Boston’s scoring potential.
In his first game back against the Canucks, I do not expect Marchand to hold back. I would not be surprised if the Bruins drop five goals in Vancouver with Marchand factoring into all five of them. Hell, I would not be surprised if Marchand scored all three goals by himself. Hopefully, those remarks don’t bite me in the butt.
