Few pro hockey teams have the history of the Boston Bruins, who have been around since 1924 and are the third-oldest hockey squad in North America. They have six Stanley Cup championships in their history, the most recent coming in 2011. They went to the Stanley Cup Finals after last season, losing in seven games to the St. Louis Blues — and losing that seventh game in front of their own fans as part of a series that saw several wins for the road team. They have shown none of the hangover that often bedevils teams that lose in the finals of their league, as they have led the NHL’s Atlantic Division for most of this season. They withstood a recent charge from the Tampa Bay Lightning and currently have a record of 44-14-12 through 70 games, good for 100 points. They lead the Atlantic by eight points over Tampa Bay and lead Washington (the Metropolitan Division leader) by ten points, so they have a great at shot at the top seed in the Eastern Conference if the NHL can return from the coronavirus hiatus and put together a postseason. As you consider whether NHL futures are worth your sports betting time, take a look at the current status of the defending Eastern Conference champions.
NHL: Boston Bruins 2019-20 Season Analysis
Boston not only started well out of the gate, going 11-1-2 in their first 14 games, but they had also turned the heat back up after the All-Star break. They posted a 16-4-0 record in the 20 games before the season was put on hold. No other team in the league has reached the 100-point mark so far. It will be interesting to see what effect the lengthy delay will have on their team chemistry, but given that all of the league is facing the same obstacle, it is likely that the Bruins will not have any more negative impact than any of the other franchises.
Offensive Analysis
The top line paces the offense in Boston. Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak have scored 107 goals and tallied 238 points combined. Pastrnak has 48 goals all by himself, and he is tied with Washington’s Alex Ovechkin for the league lead in goals scored.
The top question for the Boston offense has to do with depth in scoring after the top line. St. Louis was able to hold the Boston top line in check during major stretches of the Stanley Cup Finals, which is how they were able to win. The Bruins traded for Ondrej Kase and Nick Ritchie from Anaheim to add forward depth, and Charlie Coyle has boosted his production on the second line, scoring 37 points, with 16 goals.
Defensive Analysis
Before the 2018-19 campaign, the Bruins were well known for a high-octane offense — as well as a defense that was porous at best. That unit has improved dramatically, as we saw in the Bruins’ final game before the league went on pause. On March 10, Boston shut out Philadelphia, 2-0. The Flyers launched plenty of shots, but Tuuka Rask stopped all 36 of them to post an impressive shutout. Philadelphia had won nine in a row coming into that game, and the Bruins’ defense did enough to force their shots to come from distance and limit their quality scoring chances.
Key Numbers & Key Players
Tuukka Rask has been huge in goal all season for Boston. In the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Rask posted a 2.02 goals against average and a .934 save percentage, so if you want to pin the loss to St. Louis on anyone, it would be difficult to focus on him. His 2019-20 campaign is his best in six years, since his Vezina Trophy season in 2013-14. This season, among all goalies with at least 30 starts, Rask is tops in save percentage (.929) and goals allowed average (2.12). He is tied for second in the NHL in shutouts, with five. His backup, Jaroslav Halak, has played at starter quality, posting a .919 save percentage and a 2.39 GAA in his 31 games. You need two solid goalies to compete in the NHL these days, and it’s hard to say that any team has a better pair than the B’s do.
Playoffs panorama and Championship Odds
Boston currently has +1000 odds to win the Stanley Cup should the season resume. Given their solid start to the season and their recent hot run before the pause, they are a legitimate favorite to me. Top teams often fall by the wayside in the hockey playoffs, but the B’s have the hunger, the talent and the track record to be a smart pick.
