Things were going well for the Boston Bruins. After Joe Sacco replaced Jim Montgomery behind the bench in November, the Bruins rode the “new coach bump” to seven wins in Sacco’s first nine games.
That momentum has since ceased. Although Boston has won its past two games, those victories were preceded by a six-game winless streak (0-5-1). The Bruins are still in a playoff spot, but team president Cam Neely told reporters earlier this week that he is preparing for all scenarios ahead of the March 7 trade deadline.
“I think right now, we’ve got to look at two paths: one that we’re buying and one that we may be retooling a little bit,” Neely said.
Over the past 17 games (7-8-2), the Bruins are playing about as poorly as they did during their first 20 games (8-9-3), which cost Montgomery his job. Boston’s most recent wins against division rivals Florida and Tampa Bay were far from decisive. The Panthers and Lightning out-chanced the Bruins 84-35 (56-23 at 5-on-5) and combined for 18:32 of offensive-zone possession time — roughly twice as much as the Bruins (9:14).
Both special teams units have been major letdowns this season. The power play, which ranks 30th at 13 per cent, has sputtered all year long. The penalty kill, on the other hand, experienced a resurgence during Sacco’s first nine games, fending off 20 of 22 opportunities (90.9 per cent). Since then, the Bruins are 28-for-41 on the penalty kill (68.3 per cent).
Jeremy Swayman is not to blame for that or most of the Bruins’ issues lately. In fact, his 9.53 goals saved above expected since the holiday break ended are third-most in the NHL behind only Washington’s Logan Thompson (11.1) and Colorado’s Mackenzie Blackwood (9.99). Swayman has recorded seven quality starts in eight appearances since Dec. 28 but is 3-5-0 in those games.
It would help the Bruins tremendously if all-situations defender Hampus Lindholm could return from the broken bone he suffered in mid-November. At the time of his injury, Lindholm was tied for second at the position with 106 blocked passes and tied for fifth with 151 total defensive plays. He is one of three NHL defencemen who averages at least two minutes of power-play time and three minutes of shorthanded time per game. (Lindholm has resumed practicing with the Bruins in a no-contact jersey.)
Top defenceman Charlie McAvoy is also banged up and landed on injured reserve earlier this week. McAvoy’s average of 0.44 points per game is the worst of his eight-year career, but he is key to the operation. He is seventh among defencemen in total possession-driving plays and ninth in total possession time.
Boston’s most important players, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak, are performing below expectations. Marchand (16 goals) should have around six more goals based on his shot quality, which puts him near the bottom of the league in that category. Pastrnak has found a groove, scoring seven goals in his past six games. Prior to this stretch, however, Pastrnak was on pace for just 27 goals.
Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos listed Marchand (a pending unrestricted free agent) on his latest trade board, writing that “if Boston’s hold on a playoff spot keeps loosening, Marchand will more and more become a situation of great interest.” Although the Bruins’ 36-year-old captain has struggled this season, contending teams would certainly come calling if he became available. (He has 138 points in 157 career playoff games.)
Bruins general manager Don Sweeney could already be regretting the seven-year contract ($7.75 million annual cap hit) he gave 30-year-old centre Elias Lindholm, who has been a massive disappointment with seven goals and 22 points in 46 games.
Lindholm has offered little help offensively. He and Marchand have been tethered to one another for much of the season, but the Bruins have generated just 45.9 of the expected goals at even strength when they have been on the ice together (440:44 of shared playing time).
On Saturday, the Bruins visit the Ottawa Senators, who are one point behind them in the race for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Boston, which is 10th in the conference in points percentage (.533), enters the pivotal matchup with a 27.8 per cent chance of making the playoffs.
“We understand the roads that are in front of us and where they lead,” Marchand told reporters. “We understand we haven’t performed the way we’ve needed to. There’s consequences that come with that. There’s very high expectations with this organization. We’re expected to perform, do our job and compete every year for a (Stanley) Cup. If we’re not going to do that, then changes are going to be made so that the team does compete for a Cup.”
