The Boston Bruins entered the 2023-24 season with many looming questions regarding the roster turnover they endured this past offseason. Coming off a record-breaking regular season and after the losses of two of their top centers, Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, among many other significant departures, many expected the Bruins to go through some growing pains and slide in the Atlantic Division standings. Instead, as we close out October, they are again atop the standings in the Eastern Conference with an 8-0-1 record.
While their schedule has undoubtedly been beneficial as they’ve only faced two teams who qualified for the playoffs last season (Los Angeles Kings and Florida Panthers), the Bruins’ hot start is precisely what the club needed while they look to defy the doubters and prove they are still true Stanley Cup contenders. Here’s a look back at what October brought for the Bruins and some areas of concern for the Black and Gold.
Bruins Top Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks in Season Opener
Connor Bedard is the most hyped-up first-overall draft selection since Connor McDavid entered the league in 2015. When the Chicago Blackhawks won the NHL Draft Lottery last season, it signaled a monumental turning point for the franchise in the midst of a rebuild following their dynasty years with Jonathon Toews and Patrick Kane leading the way. Bruins fans got an early look at the future superstar as they played their season opener against the Blackhawks at the TD Garden.
While Bedard managed to get the Blackhawks on the board early, scoring the first goal of what will surely be many in the NHL, it was Bruins star David Pastrnak who stole the spotlight by potting two of his own. Pastrnak started the season right where he left off by lighting the red lamp regularly. After following in Bruins legend Phil Esposito’s footsteps as only the second player in franchise history to score 60 or more goals, Pastrnak hasn’t missed a beat, picking up eight goals through the first nine games of the season. He scored the go-ahead goal, breaking a 1-1 tie in the second period, and added an empty-net marker to seal the 3-1 victory for the Bruins.
Although Bedard received most of the spotlight leading up to the season opener, much of the talk about Boston surrounded their rookie Matthew Poitras. Poitras made his NHL debut against the Blackhawks following a great showing at training camp. He picked up his first point (an assist) on the Bruins’ first goal of the season.
The rookie had a nine-game window to put his skills on display, and as the Bruins closed out the opening month of the season, they announced that he will be sticking around rather than returning to the Guelph Storm of the OHL. “He earned it. I think we’re comfortable with him. There’s still no guarantees here the rest of the year. But we feel the way that he’s progressed that for the time being, he’s gonna be a Bruin,” head coach Jim Montgomery said on Tuesday, Oct 31.
Bruins Perfect Through California Road Trip
The Bruins followed up their season opener with another home victory, this time over the Nashville Predators on Oct. 14. After opening the season with two wins, the B’s headed out for their annual road trip through California to take on the Kings, Anaheim Ducks, and San Jose Sharks. An early road trip can be massive for building chemistry, especially with so many new faces, and the Bruins couldn’t have asked for better results as they picked up wins in each game of the trip.
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Montgomery did some line shuffling heading into the trip, looking to find an offensive spark. He moved newcomer James van Riemsdyk to the third line to play alongside Charlie Coyle and Trent Frederic, and the move paid off early on. The trio has looked good with van Riemsdyk’s net-front presence and Frederic’s mix of grit and skill to accompany Coyle’s tenacious puck pursuit. The Bruins have the makings of another tremendous third line, and it didn’t take long for them to click as JVR scored his third goal of the season against the Sharks in the opening game of the road trip.
Next up were the Kings, who brought the Bruins their first test against a playoff-caliber club. Captain Brad Marchand led the way, picking up two goals and an assist, as the Bruins won the game 4-2. Jeremy Swayman picked up his third win of the season with another strong performance, making 32 saves on 34 shots. With their last stop in California, the Bruins took on the Ducks, and it was a night that rookie Poitras will not forget as he potted the first two goals of his NHL career. Marchand sealed the win with an empty-net goal, and the Bruins skated away with a 3-1 victory.
After sweeping through the Golden State, the B’s finished the road trip with a stop in Chicago to take on Bedard and the Blackhawks for the second and final time of the season. The Bruins put together one of their most dominating games of the month, outshooting the Blackhawks 43-23. While it appeared Bedard had given the Hawks a 1-0 lead off an impressive one-timer that got past Swayman, the goal was called back after a Bruins challenge revealed the Blackhawks were offside on the play. Instead, it was Poitras once again finding his name on the scoresheet, picking up another goal in the game. Frederic also scored late, with assists going to linemates van Riemsdyk and Coyle. Swayman was unbeatable and secured his first shutout of the season in the 3-0 win.
Bruins Return Home to Begin Divisional Swing
Upon returning home, the Bruins dropped a late lead against the Ducks, who forced overtime and ultimately handed Boston their first loss of the campaign. The team then met the Detroit Red Wings in their first divisional matchup. The game also marked the first “Era Night” at the Garden as part of the Centennial celebrations, commemorating the early years of the franchise. The Red Wings entered the contest in second place in the Atlantic Division after getting off to a hot start. However, led by Pastrnak, who scored two goals and an assist, the B’s won the game decisively 4-1.
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In their latest outing, the Bruins took on the Florida Panthers in a matchup that had been circled on the calendar following last season’s disappointing playoff exit. “They ended our season. They went all the way to the finals. Our summers were miserable until the finals were over. That’s because they beat us. So, yeah, this means more,” Montgomery said ahead of the contest.
The Panthers killed any early home advantage by taking a two-goal lead into the first intermission. With his club facing their most challenging test so far, Marchand narrowed the lead in the second period, scoring his fifth goal of the season. Charlie McAvoy evened the game in the final frame, forcing overtime and setting the table for Pavel Zacha to clinch the victory with his third goal of the campaign. The Bruins pulled off the comeback and knocked off the pesky Panthers by a final score of 3-2.
Bruins Set to Face Adversity to Begin November
While the Bruins picked up the win over the Panthers, they took a couple of lashings in the process as Matt Grzelcyk left the game with an injury, and McAvoy was handed a four-game suspension for his hit on Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. While the hot start is everything the club could have hoped for, they have to be battle-tested, and now, without their top pairing for the foreseeable future, we will see how they handle their first taste of adversity this season.
Mason Lohrei, who made a name for himself during training camp, will likely get an opportunity to make his official NHL debut with the absences from Grzelcyk and McAvoy. Jakub Zboril will also be a likely candidate to see some playing time after beginning the season with the Providence Bruins.
Up to this point, the Bruins have gotten by on the strength of the defensive corps and their league-leading goaltending tandem of Linus Ullmark and Swayman. In the coming weeks, they will need standout performances on the offensive side of the ice to continue their winning ways. Next on the schedule is another divisional matchup against rival Toronto Maple Leafs, who will be looking to turn the tides of their early season struggles when they visit the Garden on Thursday night (Nov. 2).