The Bruins are a Wagon
The Boston Bruins have recently broken the record of home victories to start a season, and it doesn’t seem like they’ll stop there.
The B’s tied the previous record that was set at 11-0 by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1963. The November 11th game went 6-1 Bruins for an easy Black & Gold win. The streak continued as they hit 12-0 home with a 3-2 overtime win against the Carolina Hurricanes on November 25th. But the celebration is still going as the Bruins went 3-1 against Tampa Bay in a Tuesday night game on November 29th, recording their 13th straight win at home to start the season.
This history-making achievement isn’t the only impressive record this team has, as they’re currently leading the NHL with 38 points, going 19-3 with a .864 point percentage. But what’s contributing to this stellar performance?
One factor may be the change in the coaching staff. The offseason saw the release of the previous coach Bruce Cassidy and the hiring of Jim Montgomery. Firing Cassidy came as a surprise to many fans as he held a .672 p% in his six years with the Bruins. He left a high bar for Montgomery and has since joined the Vegas Golden Knights.
Montgomery coached the Dallas Stars from 2018 -2020, going 61-43-10 with a .579 p% over the two-year period. Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub and The Sports Hub Underground Podcast believed Monty was brought in to improve communication between players and coaching staff, something that was weak under Cassidy. It seems Montgomery has done more, as the Bruins look like a new team from last year’s.
Another element that may be contributing to this incredible season start is the number of veteran players the team has and their relationship with the younger ones. Players like David Krejci, who re-signed with the team after a year in the EHL, have brought a sort of mentorship and camaraderie to the team. On top of that, these vets are performing high.
One most notable this season is Nick Foligno, who’s sitting at 13 points in just 22 games compared to his 13 points total last season. The boys have taken to calling him “Uncle Nick” because he’s not only a difference maker on the ice this year but also in the locker room. This increase in morale on and off the ice seems to have had a nice effect on the teams’ performance.
The question is, how far can this team go? On pace for 142 points to round out the season, are the Bruins going to win it all or is this just a lucky start?