Injury Bug Hits Bruins
So far this season the Bruins have delivered more than many expected. They were not supposed to be one of the best teams in the NHL. The youth has arrived and exceeded all expectations. The Stretch that will truly define them is now. The injury bug has hit the Bruins, as they will be without Charlie McAvoy and Patrice Bergeron for the next few weeks. Tuukka Rask should be back soon, but he’s missed the last two games. So far, without their two top players the Bruins have done well, and even though it hasn’t always pretty they have found a way to win. The Bruins won their first game without McAvoy last night and are 4-0 without Bergeron. Both players are key to the Bruins as they impact the game in so many ways.
Photo Credit: Michael Dwyer/ AP Photo
Deadline Deals Become More Important
At the trade deadline the Bruins were one of the busiest teams. Other than the Rick Nash deal the Bruins made minor moves to improve their depth. They did not know that depth would be tested so quickly. So far, these additions have been very productive. Nick Holden was having a down year in New York, but he’s recorded a point in each of his first two games in Boston. Tommy Wingels was not seen as a significant addition by Boston but had a big goal in his Bruins debut. The play of these two and Nash down the stretch will be essential. As the Bruins learned last year when they lost Krug and Carlo before the playoffs, depth is key.
Photo Credit: Rudi Schuller
The Young Kids
The Bruins have a lot of veterans on this team. They have arguably one of the best lines in hockey with Bergeron, Marchand, and Pastrnak. What makes this team so special is how the young players such as DeBrusk and Heinen have exceeded expectations. They have been solid offensively, and as the season has gone on they’ve only improved. They will not have to do it alone, as Marchand is on a tear of his own. Marchand has scored the overtime winners in both of Boston’s last two games. The young guys will have to step up, but the Bruins still have some very talented veterans.
Photo Credit: Adam Belue
What Will Be Key
With McAvoy out the Bruins will be missing their best defenseman. Bergeron is very good defensively, as he is the best two-way player in the game. Without these two defense will be key, and that was evident last night as they gave up five goals to Detroit. What defines a championship team is the struggles they go through as a season goes on. If the Bruins can continue to win without Bergeron and McAvoy, this team should be taken even more seriously. This is the point of the season that every athlete relishes with the playoffs on the line. The injury bug hits every team over the course of a season and people are about to see how much heart this team really has.