Boston rising: Five keys to the Bruins' better-than-expected start

The Boston Bruins were rumored to beryllium washed up.

They were expected to beryllium excessively old. And excessively injured. And excessively past their prime. No mode could this Bruins' squad tally with the younger, faster Atlantic Division teams -- fto on the high-flying league astatine large.

That portion turned retired to beryllium true; the Bruins haven't been keeping up. They've been mounting the pace.

Boston cruised to a league-best 12-2-0 grounds to commencement this season, portion boasting the apical extremity differential (plus-25), astir goals for (57, tied with Vegas successful 1 less crippled players) and astir businesslike punishment termination (94.1%) during that span. The Bruins took attraction of concern mostly without past season's starring scorer (Brad Marchand, who returned from offseason hep country connected Oct. 27) oregon No. 1 defenseman (Charlie McAvoy, conscionable backmost successful the lineup aft undergoing a analyzable enarthrosis process successful June).

The play took a arguable crook erstwhile the nine signed -- then chopped ties with, amid internal and external disapproval -- defenseman imaginable Mitchell Miller, and the Bruins proceed to look questions connected their involvement successful him.

On the ice, however has Boston proved the pundits wrong? By rolling retired its ain look for success. Its cardinal ingredients see a caller dependable down the bench, enviable guardant depth, unexpected prima turns and a heap of bully Pasta.

Mad for Monty

It was a existent head-scratcher erstwhile Boston parted ways with manager Bruce Cassidy connected June 7 aft six seasons.

The determination came weeks aft the Bruins' first-round playoff nonaccomplishment to the Carolina Hurricanes -- coaching changes are mostly much expedient than that -- and Cassidy had produced a beardown grounds (245-108-46) and six consecutive postseason appearances.

Boston's wide manager Don Sweeney justified Cassidy's departure arsenic the squad "need[ing] a caller direction" and a "new messaging and dependable was going to beryllium required."

Enter Jim Montgomery.

He became the franchise's 29th manager connected June 30, returning to a caput relation for the archetypal clip since being fto spell by Dallas successful 2019 for "a idiosyncratic behavioral issue." Shortly aft his firing, Montgomery checked into rehab for intoxicant abuse. In September 2020, St. Louis brought Montgomery connected arsenic an assistant, a station helium held until Sweeney's offer.

The matrimony is, by each accounts, disconnected to an fantabulous start.

"He's conscionable travel successful with [really] bully energy," seasoned guardant Nick Foligno said. "That's the biggest happening astir Monty; helium loves the crippled conscionable arsenic overmuch arsenic the players do. So, it's infectious successful our room. He's truly bully astir the one-on-one conversations and knowing what you request to bring, and he's truly unfastened astir that. He besides enjoys the process of the game. It's lined up good with the mode this radical is. He's done a large job."

What Montgomery doesn't bash is micromanage. Instead of recreating the Bruins successful his ain image, Montgomery got to cognize what makes players tick, what systems enactment with their accomplishment sets and went astir maximizing the imaginable disconnected his bench.

"He conscionable lets america play," guardant A.J. Greer said. "He isn't being excessively hard connected us, but he's besides correcting us, sometimes without adjacent having to accidental anything. It's amusive to play for him. The mode helium uses the systems and the mode he's utilizing this squad is precisely however we privation to play, and you spot it with the occurrence we're having. It's truly well-thought out, due to the fact that everyone's dialed into that aforesaid mindset and everyone's collectively pulling the vessel here."

Cultivating an all-for-one solidarity was a captious ngo by Montgomery, to support Boston from allowing aboriginal wounded absences specify the season. Adversity tin sometimes disagreement a dressing room; Montgomery's methods kept the Bruins tight.

"I deliberation helium truly brought this radical together," David Pastrnak said. "He's a precise affirmative person. He's precise smart. He has large points astir hockey and the benignant that helium wants america to play. He's conscionable been truly good."

That unity extends connected the crystal too. Montgomery's attack is subtle, but he's guiding the Bruins toward being a implicit team. The remainder has travel people from there.

"He truly understands what [we] are going to person occurrence with," Foligno said. "That's being dense down low. He talks astir wearing retired the extremity line, and that's conducive to a batch of guys successful this room. That messaging unsocial plays into a batch of guys' hands. Guys are much comfortable. The reads you tin marque down low; you don't get burned connected arsenic galore times if it doesn't enactment out. There's inactive a 200-foot crippled that [another] squad has to get through. I deliberation that's truly played into a batch of our hands."

It's nary wonderment that the honeymoon signifier feels acold from over. Boston hopes it'll past each season.

"We emotion playing for this guy," Greer said. "He's truly brought conscionable a affirmative mindset and a affirmative aura astir the group. He ever talked astir the process of taking it 1 crippled astatine a time. He respects america arsenic people, helium respects america arsenic players, and helium understands each and each 1 of us. To physique disconnected that vigor for the manager and the respect that everyone has for everyone here, he's done a phenomenal occupation and it's fun."

Pasta-powered

Only 2 players successful the league had much points than David Pastrnak aft 11 games: Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

These things happen.

Also happening? A imaginable vocation twelvemonth for Boston's bold winger. That's saying thing for Pastrnak, who managed a 2nd 40-goal showing past season, portion averaging implicit a point-per-game pace, with 77 successful 72 games. This play Pastrnak buried 8 goals and 19 points done the 12-game mark, including 8 points successful his archetypal 4 outings alone.

Boston knew it would request Pastrnak playing astatine his champion without Marchand successful the premix (especially erstwhile Marchand was expected to beryllium unavailable until Thanksgiving). Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci coming backmost connected one-year contracts wouldn't beryllium capable to capable the violative void. So Pastrnak kicked things up a notch, and his timing has been perfect.

Pastrnak's terrific play not lone benefits the Bruins now, but it's materializing successful the last play of his six-year, $39.9 cardinal deal. The 26-year-old volition beryllium an unrestricted escaped cause this summertime if helium doesn't scope an statement with Boston earlier that. Basically, this is Pastrnak's moment, and helium has taken afloat advantage.

"He's a antheral connected a mission, right?" Foligno said. "It's conscionable the property too. You commencement to truly recognize yourself. And I deliberation that's wherever Pasta has travel to. He's go a antheral present successful his mindset, his attack to the game. The skills person ever been determination but erstwhile you adhd the rest, you go much of a superpower and that's what you spot from him. He's not acrophobic to spot his instincts. He understands the players he's playing with, he's assured successful who helium is arsenic a person, and I deliberation it's conscionable coming retired successful the game."

Boston could person anticipated Pastrnak's prowess. The beardown commencement from his linemate Krejci was much successful doubt. The 36-year-old spent 2021-22 with Olomouc HC successful his autochthonal Czech Republic earlier deciding to travel backmost to the NHL for different season. How rapidly Krejci readjusted was a question mark. He turned that into an exclamation point, netting 2 goals and 8 points done 8 games anterior to being injured connected Oct. 27.

Krejci has besides been the cleanable spouse to his different linemate, Taylor Hall. They skated unneurotic precocious successful the 2020-21 season, and Hall's top-end velocity complemented Krejci's playmaking. Absence intelligibly made the bosom turn fonder, due to the fact that they've picked up things seamlessly, reflected successful Hall's ain accelerated commencement with 5 goals and 9 points successful 12 games.

Having Pastrnak arsenic portion of that equation too? Who tin truly telephone them a "second line?"

Depth of character

Yes, the Bruins person top-end talents. But they haven't been top-heavy. The quality lies successful Boston's depth.

In the archetypal 12 games, each but 1 regular guardant (Tomas Nosek) produced astatine slightest 1 goal. Multiple skaters were successful double-digit constituent totals oregon averaging much than a constituent per game.

While Marchand missed the archetypal 2 weeks, Boston inactive rang up the third-most goals successful the league (4.14 per game) and the sixth astir shots (35.6 per contest). Their dominance continued adjacent without contributions from McAvoy, a high-level violative defenseman who has paced the club's blueliners with 27 goals and 146 points successful his past 250 games.

Krejci missed clip with an injury. Ditto Jake DeBrusk. Boston's bevy of options near it unbothered by the disruptions.

"We person truthful overmuch depth, and we're winning by committee close now," Marchand said. "It's hard for teams to prolong the tempo that we're playing astatine each and each shift, and yet we conscionable interruption teams down and get opportunities. With the endowment that we person connected each line, we're going to capitalize. Some teams person 1 oregon 2 bully lines, but we person four. It's showing up erstwhile 1 enactment has a pugnacious night, [but] different enactment is stepping up and producing and taking implicit the game."

Greer has individually embodied that mentality and go Boston's astonishment standout. It hardly registered erstwhile Greer signed a two-year, $1.5 cardinal escaped cause declaration past summer. After all, the journeyman entered this play with 2 goals and 8 points successful 47 NHL games from 2016-17 to 2021-22. But determination was thing astir the acceptable successful Boston.

It took conscionable 4 tilts successful achromatic and golden for Greer to found caller season-long vocation highs successful goals (three) and points (five). Greer -- a Boston University alum, to footwear -- was truthful thrilled to people successful beforehand of the Bruins' location assemblage helium really kissed his jersey successful celebration.

He has besides been a steadfast scratch immoderate games, reflecting conscionable however galore candidates Boston has from which to choose. Greer finds the continuous conflict for crystal clip motivating.

"I deliberation there's a competitory vigor successful the bottommost six due to the fact that anyone tin play astatine immoderate fixed time," helium said. "It's a competitory mounting present and guys propulsion maine to beryllium arsenic champion arsenic I tin each day. So, things person worked retired statistically, but I deliberation my crippled successful wide has taken conscionable a leap guardant arsenic acold arsenic consistency and uncovering what I request to bash champion successful the successful the NHL. I'm truly blessed astir that and conscionable trying to physique disconnected it each day."

Foligno has astir 1,000 much games acquisition than Greer, but plays a akin relation successful elevating Boston's attack. From a mostly fourth-line perch, Foligno managed 3 goals and 7 points successful 12 games -- already nearing his 13-point full done 64 outings a play ago.

When Boston is healthy, the combat to enactment successful play intensifies. That's portion of the fun. Newbies and veterans alike privation to gain their spot, but permission ego astatine the doorway regardless.

"I deliberation each feline realizes however important [their contribution] is to this team's success, whether you're successful oregon retired of the lineup," Foligno said. "Every feline takes work [because] there's a feline that's a beauteous darn bully subordinate waiting successful the wings to travel in. So, erstwhile you're in, you privation to bash the occupation you're asked to and erstwhile you're not, you're itching for that accidental to get backmost and conscionable assistance the group.

"That's besides the mindset and the civilization successful here. The mode that it's been successful Boston is the next-man-up mentality, and you don't privation to fto anyone down and I deliberation each feline is truly relishing that accidental that they person here."

A caller ascendant D-man

Boston couldn't regenerate McAvoy. But Hampus Lindholm definite gave it a shot.

Consider Lindholm's relation successful Boston's wild, come-from-behind triumph implicit Pittsburgh this month. The Penguins had a 5-2 pb successful the 2nd play and the Bruins were down a defender aft Derek Forbort suffered an upper-body wounded successful the first. Confronting that multigoal shortage with a depleted bluish enactment was daunting.

Until Lindholm enactment the Bruins connected his back. He assisted connected Boston's adjacent 3 goals that forced overtime, and past went coast-to-coast scoring the game-winner.

Montgomery called Lindholm "phenomenal" aft that performance. It mightiness person been an understatement.

"I tin accidental that I've played with bully defensemen, and I ticker hockey regularly," Greer said. "And I would accidental Lindholm is decidedly 1 of the much impactful D-men I've seen successful the NHL."

Lindholm's numbers this play backmost that up. He ranked 3rd among league defenders with 13 points done 12 games, had an NHL-best plus-12 rating, and averages a beardown 24:06 minutes of crystal clip per crippled -- the bulk of which are played against the opponent's apical forwards.

This is the Lindholm that Boston hoped for erstwhile acquiring him via commercialized with the Anaheim Ducks past March. McAvoy hadn't had a existent top-pairing partner, and the Bruins stake connected Lindholm -- with an eight-year, $52 cardinal declaration signed aft the commercialized -- to beryllium that guy.

And truthful it seems that helium could be. Lindholm and McAvoy person skated unneurotic successful practices, but Montgomery besides likes Lindholm with Connor Clifton. That's the happening astir Lindholm -- helium tin enactment good with astir anyone.

That's not to accidental Boston doesn't miss McAvoy, of course, astatine adjacent spot and quarterbacking its powerfulness play (Boston is astatine 23.2% -- 14th wide -- connected the antheral advantage). But Lindholm arguably has been Boston's first-quarter MVP and is generating Norris Trophy buzz portion keeping the Bruins' backmost extremity intact without McAvoy (and much precocious Forbort) successful their midst.

"It's unthinkable however [Lindholm] tin get distant from guys," Foligno said. "His poise with the puck, you deliberation helium has a play unfastened and past helium waits that other 2nd and a amended play opens up. He's truly fixed america a existent footing with Charlie being retired and he's logged a batch of minutes. But conscionable [with] his calmness, his poise -- it's conscionable settled everyone down connected the backmost end. And he's astir welcoming it; that's what's neat astir him. He welcomes the other minutes and the pressure."

There mightiness beryllium much eyes connected Lindholm present than ever earlier successful his career. That includes immoderate of his teammates. Foligno admits helium didn't spot overmuch of Lindholm erstwhile helium was playing retired west, and Greer claimed not to cognize "one happening astir him" earlier they shared a dressing room.

Lindholm isn't fooling anyone now.

"He's an insane hockey player, and an astonishing person," Greer said. "I did not cognize helium was that good. And each azygous night, helium conscionable puts connected a show. It's crazy. And helium does it truthful easily. It looks truthful seamless for him. He'll play 30 minutes a nighttime and helium has the aforesaid vigor astatine the extremity that helium had successful the archetypal play connected his archetypal shift. I deliberation he's been a large summation and a large instrumentality for us."

All successful connected Ullmark

The 2 astir caller Bruins goalies to commencement a play 8-0-0 were Tim Thomas successful 2010-11 and Linus Ullmark successful 2022-23.

Thomas backstopped Boston to a Stanley Cup that season. Ullmark would similar to bash the same.

Boston leaned connected Ullmark early, and helium has embraced being 1 of the NHL's busiest netminders. Those league-leading 8 victories came with a .929 SV% and 2.16 goals-against average, positive a goals-saved supra mean of 7.0 (sixth overall). And the seasoned won't beryllium getting a remainder immoderate clip soon.

The Bruins planned connected utilizing its aforesaid goalie tandem of Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman that contributed truthful overmuch to their occurrence past play (not to notation a landslide of goalie hug memes). After Tuukka Rask's hard instrumentality from wounded successful January -- and his consequent status pursuing 4 appearances -- the Bruins' crease belonged wholly to then-rookie Swayman and Ullmark to share.

Both are susceptible starters, meant to beryllium arsenic progressive passim this season. Then Swayman went down with a lower-body wounded connected Nov. 1 and was moved to injured reserve (he's listed arsenic week-to-week). Ullmark instantly inherited accrued work -- successful performance with Swayman's replacement Keith Kinkaid -- to support the house.

Fortunately, Ullmark's been up for a dense workload. And luckily for Ullmark there's a beardown guardant radical successful beforehand of him to make needed extremity support, not to notation that Lindholm-led defence which is apical 5 successful goals against to date.

It takes a village, arsenic they say. And Ullmark's consistency has been foundational to what Boston is building.

How precocious tin these Bruins climb? Stay tuned for the adjacent chapter.