Boston Bruins Dominate First Half of 2008/09
Bruins Top Eastern Conference Heading into All-Star Weekend
Jan 26, 2009 Sebastian Egerton-Read
Over the last decade the Boston Bruins have become accustomed to failure and disappointment managing just one playoff series win since 1994. The franchise hit rock bottom in 2006/07, when in spite of an overhaul that included the introduction of new GM Peter Chiarelli, Coach Dave Lewis and top free agent signings Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard, the team missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The 2007 off-season saw Peter Chiarelli make arguably his finest move as a GM when he appointed Claude Julien as the new head coach. Under Julien, Boston found an identity as one of the NHL’s hardest working teams, making the playoffs for the first time since the lockout.
1 ½ years into Julien’s reign and Boston has progressed dramatically currently owning an incredible 34-8-5 record, 10 points clear at the top of the Eastern Conference, they also lead the Conference in goals scored (168) and fewest goals conceded (106). The Bruins were almost unbeatable in November and December with a 23-1-2 record, including an impressive 10 game winning streak, their longest since 1973.
The Bruins have been so dominant that it is almost impossible to pin down the keys to their success. Marc Savard is once again amongst the league leaders with 40 assists and 56 points, but it is the emergence of young forwards Phil Kessel (24 goals and 41 points) and David Krejci (35 assists and 52 points) that has triggered an offensive explosion for a club that already has 168 goals in 47 games this season, after only scoring a total of 212 in 2007/08. Important secondary offense has come from UFA acquisitions Michael Ryder (18 goals and 34 points) and Blake Wheeler (14 goals and 30 points).
Manny Fernandez has returned from injury and is playing superbly with a 2.07 GAA and .928% save percentage, he has worked effectively in tandem with Tim Thomas, who deservedly makes his second All-star appearance this weekend after posting a 2.09 GAA and .934% save percentage through the season’s first half. However, it cannot be under-estimated just how important effective clearing of rebounds by the Bruins defensemen denying second chance opportunities has been in helping Thomas and Fernandez post such impressive numbers. The defense is led by the ever present Zdeno Chara, the 6’ 9” defenseman logs over 26 minutes a game against the league’s top offensive players while still being a +22 and registering 29 points. Dennis Wideman’s development as a #2 puck-moving defenseman has been crucial in giving Boston’s defense balance. Wideman has been very reliable this season with 31 points and a +26, but his biggest contribution is perhaps in consistently making a good first pass out of the defensive zone transitioning to the Bruins potent offense.
The season has not been all plain sailing for the Bruins though, as the team’s character and depth has already been given a tougher test in January. Injuries to Phil Kessel, Patrice Bergeron, Manny Fernandez, Milan Lucic, Marco Sturm, Andrew Ference and Aaron Ward have left the line-up depleted but Julien’s team have answered the challenge still posting a good 6-3-1 record since the start of the New Year.
With a combination of skill, grit and hard work this Bruins team is exciting to watch, their performance already this season makes them an early favourite for the Stanley Cup. Passion for hockey has been restored in Boston, with the city sensing that this team has the potential to be something special, however while the regular season has already been superb, the 2008/09 Bruins will only want to be remembered for how far they advance in the post-season.
Zdeno Chara celebrates his goal early in the third
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