Two full weeks are down for the Boston Bruins in the 2023-24 season and what a start it’s been. Sitting a 6-0-0, they are one of three remaining teams that have yet to suffer a regulation loss this season, along with the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights. The start to the season equals the best start in franchise history, tied with the 1937-38 Black and Gold.
After a busy and successful week out West, it’s time for the latest Bruins 3 Up, 3 Down.
Stock Up: Brad Marchand
The first big test for the Bruins was their recently completed four-game, six-day road trip where they swept all four games. There were many factors for their success, but newly named captain Brad Marchand stepped up when the team needed him. He had two goals in a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 21, then sealed the 3-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks with an empty-net goal one night later.
He picked up an assist against the Chicago Blackhawks in the final game of the road trip in a 3-0 win to run his consecutive point streak to five games. He has been as good as the Bruins have needed him to be through the first six games.
Stock Down: Jake DeBrusk
Before the game against the Kings, coach Jim Montgomery said that Jake DeBrusk would be a healthy scratch after being late to a team meeting. Not a great look for the 14th overall pick of the 2015 Entry Draft in a contract year with no extension yet in Boston.
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He owned up to the mistake the following night in Anaheim and to his credit, he bounced back with a good game against the Ducks, but when healthy, the Black and Gold need him in the lineup on a nightly basis.
Stock Up: Jeremy Swayman & Linus Ullmark
There are different factors for the Bruins’ start to the season, including how good their penalty-killing has been, but the main reason is the nightly play they are getting from Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark. On the trip, Ullmark came up huge twice and Swayman stole a game the Bruins probably shouldn’t have won. In six games they’ve only allowed seven goals.
Against the San Jose Sharks and Ducks, Ullmark stopped 56 of the 58 shots he faced and has a 1.00 goals against average (GAA) and a .962 save percentage (SV%) through his first three games. In Los Angeles, Swayman turned back 32 of the 34 shots he faced, many at point-blank range. He then stopped all 23 shots he faced in Chicago for the shutout. So far, the goaltending has been as good as advertised for the Black and Gold.
Stock Down: Ian Mitchell
Acquired from the Blackhawks as part of the Taylor Hall trade in June, Ian Mitchell made the roster out of training camp as the seventh defenseman. He made his Boston debut in Los Angeles and struggled with several first-period icings on the same shift. He played that night for Kevin Shattenkirk, before playing the next night for Derek Forbort in Anaheim. He has been shaky, as expected, but with as many questions the defense has with Shattenkirk and Forbort, you can add a third one with Mitchell.
Wednesday (Oct. 25), the Bruins placed Mitchell on waivers and you have to think it’s a move to bring up another defenseman or sign Danton Heinen. Time will tell.
Stock Up: Matthew Poitras
Just three games are remaining before the Bruins need to decide on Matthew Poitras. Their choices are, to spend the season in the NHL, or send him to the Guelph Storm in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) as he’s not eligible for the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL).
After struggling against the Sharks, the 19-year-old had two big bounce-back games against the Kings and Ducks and even scored his first two career goals, nearly four minutes apart, to help the Bruins rally in the third period for a 3-1 win. Against Chicago, he forced a turnover at the defensive blueline and outraced the Blackhawks defense to score on a breakaway. It’s going to be hard for management to justify not keeping him for the whole season. The kid has earned it.
Stock Down: Bruins Power Play
Special teams are going to play a huge role in the season for the Bruins. The penalty-killing has been very good, but the power play, well that’s struggling and is something that needs to be fixed. Through six games, they have just three man-advantage goals, two by James van Riemsdyk and one by David Pastrnak. Zone entries have played a part in the struggles, especially on the recent four-game road trip, however, more production from a group that can roll a lot over talent on the boards is needed.
Related: Revisiting Bruins’ 10-Year Dominance of the Annual California Trip
Boston returns home from their road trip to play Anaheim for the second time in four days on Thursday night (Oct. 25) and as we all know, the first game after a West Coast trip can be difficult. After that, the streaking Detroit Red Wings come to town in what will be a fun matchup between two of the more surprising teams early this season.