For the first time in the 2023-24 season, the Boston Bruins faced some adversity in the last seven days. They suffered their first loss of the season, albeit in overtime, they lost a key defenseman to an injury and another one to a suspension.
Despite all of that, they still sit at 8-0-1 through the first nine games with the schedule about to get a lot tougher. With that said, it’s time for the latest Bruins 3 Up, 3 Down.
Plus One: David Pastrnak
So far, so good when it comes to David Pastrnak and whether or not he is going to produce without Patrice Bergeron or David Krejci in the lineup. The Bruins’ top scorer picked up a goal against the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 26, then when the Black and Gold needed him the most, he stepped up again.
Leading the Detroit Red Wings, 2-1, in the third period on Oct. 28, the Bruins were hanging on for dear life midway through the period when Pastrnak was hooked from behind on a breakaway and awarded a penalty shot. He was able to beat Detroit goalie Ville Husso and then added an empty-netter later in the period for the 4-1 win. Eight goals so far this season for Pastrnak and the Bruins have needed nearly every one of them.
Minus One: Briuns Late-Game Troubles Creep Back
Last season in the third period of Game 7 against the Florida Panthers in the first round of the playoffs, Boston held a 3-2 lead in the final minute but was unable to clear the puck multiple times before Florida tied the game and won it in overtime to complete the stunning upset. You would have thought that the Black and Gold would have learned from that mistake, but they didn’t.
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Leading Anaheim 3-1 with less than two minutes left in the game, they allowed a goal to Leo Carlsson, then after several failed attempts to clear the puck out of the zone, the Ducks tied the game when Troy Terry’s shot deflected off of Brad Marchand’s stick and into the net. Mason McTavish won the game in overtime. It almost happened again against the Red Wings as they entered the third period with a two-goal lead, but they were able to close out the game thanks to goalie Jeremy Swayman (nine saves in the period) and Pastrnak.
Plus Two: Matthew Poitras
In reality, this decision on Matthew Poitras was a no-brainer for the Bruins. The second-round pick in the 2022 Entry Draft certainly proved that he belongs in the NHL after his strong preseason and first nine games.
In those nine games, Poitras has three goals and five points, but the little things he’s doing that show he belongs. He’s winning puck battles along the wall, he’s setting up teammates around the net and his vision of the ice is underrated. A middle-six spot is perfect for him this season and helps with the lack of depth the Bruins have down the middle, something the front office failed to address, and are lucky Poitras is turning into the player he is so quickly.
Minus Two: Charlie McAvoy
Against the Panthers Monday night (Oct. 30), Charlie McAvoy tied the game in the third period, however, what happened after is what cost him and more importantly his teammates his services. He was called for a match penalty when he was cutting in front of the Florida net and hit defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larrson.
Tuesday night (Oct. 31), the NHL Department of Player Safety announced a four-game suspension for the Bruins’ top defenseman and it’s the right call for the severity of the hit. He’ll miss a key stretch of games against good teams during the four games he’s out. McAvoy needs to be smarter and better than that.
Plus Three: Bruins Penalty Kill
Aside from goaltending, another big reason for the start to the season for the Black and Gold has been their penalty kill. It was never more important than against Florida when they were short two defensemen in the third period and still managed to kill off McAvoy’s five-minute major. They were a perfect 3-for-3 against the Panthers and that five-minute kill allowed them to win the game in overtime on a Pavel Zacha goal.
Minus Three: Matt Grzelcyk Injury
A defensive group that is not very deep, to begin with, is going to get severely tested over the next few games. Not only are the Bruins losing McAvoy to a suspension, but Matt Grzelcyk suffered an upper-body injury against the Panthers and the first period and did not return. Following the game, Montgomery said that he would be out for a couple of weeks.
Combining Grzelcyk’s injury with McAvoy’s suspension means that Jakub Zboril will get the call-up from the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL) and who will he be joined by, Mason Lohrei or Ian Mitchell? It’s not going to be easy with the Toronto Maple Leafs at the TD Garden on Thursday night (Nov. 2).
Related: 3 Takeaways From Bruins’ 4-1 Win Over Red Wings
The schedule is now going to get tough for the Bruins with a home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs (Nov. 2), followed by road games against the Red Wings (Nov. 4) and Dallas Stars (Nov. 6). This will be the first big test of the season for the Black and Gold.