The Early Season Reality Check
The Boston Bruins sit at 2-2 after four games, and the play from the forward group is a major letdown. Causeway Crowd reports that while the team split their first two games, the individual performances have been a shock to the system. The Black and Gold opened with a 3-0 win against the New York Rangers but lost 4-1 to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night. They followed that up with another 4-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Monday night. This record is not good enough for a team with championship hopes.
Center Line Struggles and Bad Luck
Morgan Geekie has been a massive disappointment despite putting up career numbers recently. His puck luck appears poor given he struck a crossbar versus the Rangers and a post versus the Senators. His best opportunity arrived against Ottawa when he grabbed a loose puck, raced down the slot alone, and shot directly at Linus Ullmark. According to the writer, he lacks any confidence and requires a fluke goal to start performing.
Elias Lindholm is another player who has failed to meet expectations as the top-line center. It has been four games, and many fans feel it is long enough to see if he can handle the job. Causeway Crowd notes that while some fans desire a trade, no one will accept his contract from Don Sweeney. Coach Marco Sturm’s patience with him is waning, making it necessary to test Fraser Minten or another player in that spot. Lindholm cannot stay in that spot much longer.
Pavel Zacha is also on thin ice as trade rumors surround him this season. He is in a contract year with no extension close to happening with the Bruins. He will be the premier center available when the trade deadline arrives in this thin pivot market. Last season he led the top second line alongside Casey Mittlestadt and Viktor Arvidsson, until Arvidsson departed for the Detroit Red Wings via free agency. Zacha is failing to increase his trade value for the Bruins during the season’s opening week.
Missing Speed and Line Chemistry
Casey Mittlestadt is catching the ire of fans because he has not been great. Similar to Zacha, he seems to miss Arvidsson on his line, as the speed Arvidsson provided is evidently absent. The loss of that specific speed has hurt the chemistry of the forward groupings. The team ended the week poorly in a 4-1 defeat to the Senators, with these five players serving as the primary cause.
The Bruins host the Utah Mammoth in a non-conference matchup on Thursday at 7 p.m. EDT. FOX Sports reports the Bruins netted 268 total goals last season, including 55 power-play goals. Utah scored the same 268 total goals but with 46 power-play goals and eight shorthanded goals. The Mammoth had a 43-33-6 record overall last season, while the Bruins had a 45-27-10 record. No injuries are listed for the Bruins, but Maveric Lamoureux is out for Utah with a shoulder injury.
The numbers show a team that is barely hanging on. A 2-2 start with these specific players underperforming is a recipe for a long winter. The coach must make changes soon or the season could slide fast. The 4-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Monday night proves that the current lineups are not working.
