Bruins
The Bruins 2024-25 season is well underway, with Boston currently holding a 3-2-0 record following Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Avalanche.
Given the turnover on the depth chart for Boston, it was expected that there could be some growing pains for the Bruins this fall.
But despite two Panthers losses, this Bruins team has already been bolstered by some unexpected contributors.
Here are eight stats and trends that stood out through the Bruins' first five games, highlighting each the expansion of a developing roster and deficiencies that should be corrected.
12 goals per 60 minutes in 5v5 play for Kastelic
How dominant has Boston's fourth line of Johnny Beecher, Mark Kastelic and Cole Koepke been this season?
According to Evolving Hockey, the trio is an absurdist 12 goals were scored within the 5-on-5 game, which lasted probably 60 minutes — with Boston currently outscoring its opponents 8-0 in 40 minutes of 5-on-5 reps this season.
This value of 12.0 GF/60 is by far one of the best hit rate of any forward within the NHL, followed by Jonathan Huberdeau's line in Calgary (8.67 GF/60), Jack Eichel's line in Las Vegas (8.59) and the Lineup of Anton Lundell, Sam Reinhart and Eetu Luostarinen (7.7) in Florida.
Through five games, this group of Beecher, Kastelic and Koepke has been one of the best lineup in hockey – combining for six goals and 15 points from beyond the arc while shooting just 34.6 percent of their faceoffs within the offensive zone at 5-10. On-5 game.
While the Bruins scored eight 5-on-5 goals when the Kastelic department was on hiatus, there have been 17 teams in the whole NHL that didn't even rating eight 5-on-5 goals all season.
This spike in points is probably not sustainable for Boston's fourth line. But if this trio continues to play with pace, win puck battles and operate below the goal line, this bottom-six group may very well be one of the best controlling unit within the league.
-0.4 goals saved above expectations for Jeremy Swayman
Jeremy Swayman was among the finest goaltenders within the NHL at converting top scoring opportunities last season, rating fourth within the league in goals saved above expectations with 18.4.per MoneyPuck).
But after recording zero reps with the Bruins during each training camp and preseason contract negotiations, Boston's franchise goaltender was understandably rusty from the beginning.
Aside from his .893 save percentage in three appearances, Swayman's goals saved percentage above expectations is -0.4 (essentially, he has allowed more goals than expected based on the standard of opponents' shots and scoring probabilities).
He is currently ranked thirty fifth within the NHL entering the yr with odds of -0.4, while Joonas Korpisalo is ranked fortieth overall with odds of -0.9.
The Bruins imagine they’re locking in a franchise goaltender long-term with Swayman's latest eight-year, $66 million contract. But it’d take a while for him to settle on this season.
-2.59 expected goal difference at 5v5 games
One of the few concerning developments for Boston was the flexible coverage of the defensive zone. According to MoneyPuckBoston ranks twenty eighth within the NHL with 10.72 expected goals against at 5-on-5.
That's a disheartening situation, considering that a high expected goals ratio paints an image of a defense liable to squandering prime probabilities and other dangerous scoring probabilities around their goalkeeper.
Often, expected goals don't necessarily correlate with tangible goals etched into the scoresheet – especially when you will have a powerful goalkeeper who’s able to thwarting the nice probabilities that appear in front of him.
But considering Swayman's aforementioned pedestrian start, the Bruins were exhausted within the early going on account of poor coverage at the online front and lackluster defense on the push.
Adding in Boston's uneven performance of quality 5-on-5 opportunities within the offensive zone (8.13 expected goals), the Bruins' expected goal differential of -2.59 leaves them thirty first out of 32 NHL clubs entering the season .
32 penalties
The Bruins have spent far an excessive amount of time in sin, with Boston currently tied for first within the NHL with 32 penalties in five games as of Thursday night. That was a cause for consternation for Jim Montgomery, who called out his team after it was eliminated by five penalties against Florida on Monday.
Boston's strengthened roster is anticipated to dish out some penalties this yr, however the Bruins were far too undisciplined early on. Nikita Zadorov specifically spent a whole lot of time within the penalty box – the 1.90 meter tall defender was whistled seven times in these five games, as many as within the league.
Additionally, Boston's penalty kill unit has been largely average thus far this yr (80.0 percent) and the Bruins have played with fire in terms of the team's trips to the penalty box.
18.2 percent success rate in the facility play
While the Bruins have been no strangers to lopsided 5-on-5 results during the last decade, those deficiencies have typically been offset by a powerful power play that Boston has been capable of hold in most games.
But after last postseason's lull against Florida (1:16, 14 shots on goal over 26:19 of ice time), the Bruins' man advantage once more struggled to achieve traction early within the yr. Their success rate of 18.2 percent currently ranks twentieth within the NHL.
Boston's man advantage stays lethal with David Pastrnak, but he went 27 straight games and not using a power play record from March 7 to May 8 last season.
The Bruins need greater than Pastrnak's one-timer to bolster their power play, with Elias Lindholm (five points in five games) showing encouraging results on the bumper court.
4 points for Mason Lohrei since being scratched
Mason Lohrei's unique mix of size and playmaking ability from the blue line should set him up for a breakout season within the 2024-25 season.
However, the 23-year-old defenseman may also face some growing pains, as evidenced by his lackluster play against Florida during Boston's season-opening loss at Amerant Bank Arena.
Since being scratched in Boston's home opener against Montreal on Oct. 10, Lohrei has responded. Lohrei has scored 4 points in his last three games – he lit up against Florida on Monday before adding a slick push to Charlie Coyle's power play tally on Wednesday.
The Bruins could have to beat a few of the expected ups and downs that include several younger players attempting to break into the NHL. Boston shall be watching to see how Matt Poitras responds after he logged just 8:23 of ice time in Wednesday's win.
No 5-on-5 points for Boston's second line
There are seven players on Boston's roster who’ve yet to attain some extent in 5-on-5 play this season. Three of them – Charlie Coyle, Brad Marchand and Morgan Geekie – opened the yr as Boston's supporting trio.
While Boston's fourth line did a whole lot of the heavy lifting on offense early on, the Bruins will need their second line to get some shots within the O-zone. While Marchand (two points) and Coyle (one goal) have no less than capitalized on the facility play, Geekie has remained goalless in 4 games.
31 shot attempts by Hampus Lindholm
Draw more attacks from the blue line has been a priority for Montgomery and his staff this season, especially given some turnovers on offense for Boston. So far, it looks like Boston's D-corps has heeded their head coach's message.
While Pastrnak understandably leads the Bruins with 40 shot attempts in five games, he’s followed by two defensemen in Hampus Lindholm (31) and Charlie McAvoy (23).
Lindholm's shot-first mentality is a welcome sight, because the veteran blueliner currently ranks eighth within the NHL amongst D-Men in shot attempts. (Former Bruin Dougie Hamilton leads New Jersey with a whopping 51 shot attempts.)
As shown during Game 7 against the Maple Leafs last May and even in Wednesday's game against Colorado, good things occur when Lindholm puts pucks in the online.
An assertive Lindholm should further strengthen the Bruins' dynamic D-corps, which has already scored five goals and 18 points thus far this yr.
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