By Sean Reardon | Observer Contributor
The Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League have not been a good team for the last few years, but with a new goaltender and an improved offense and defense from last year, this team has a good shot at making the playoffs this year.
The Bruins have not qualified for postseason play the last two seasons and have finished in the basement of the division. Over the last few years, the coaching and front office of the team have been looking for all the right players to fit their system and this year, it looks like they really have the right players.
The Bruin’s offense will have to play great again this season for the team to be successful. Last year, the Bruins were one of the better teams in the NHL on the offensive side of the ice. With a good mixture of young talent and veteran experience on offense, this team is expected to be one of the league leaders in points scored.
Line one pairs 22-year-old Patrice Bergeron with 34-year-old Right Winger Glen Murray. Nineteen-year-old Phil Kessel will begin his second season with the Bruins and is expected to put up big numbers. Kessel will rely on the veteran help of teammates, such as Marc Savard, Marco Sturm, P.J. Axellson, and new Boston Bruin Peter Schaffer. If the team is going to be successful this season, the offensive unit will be a bit part of their success.
On the other side of the ice, the Bruin’s defense is a whole other story. If the team wants to be successful, the defense will have to play better than they did in the last few seasons. Last season, the Bruin’s defense ranked as one of the worst units in the National Hockey League. The lone star defenseman on the team is the Bruin’s captain, 6’9” Zdeno Chara. Chara, a native of Trenchin, Slovakia, will begin his second season with the team. Chara leads the group of young, inexperienced defensemen, including Dennis Wideman, Andrew Alberts, Mark Stuart, Matt Lashoff, and Andrew Ference.
Alongside them are veterans Jason York and Aaron Ward. The team’s defense is described as a mixture of unproven young players and washed up older players and is known as one of the worst defensive units in the NHL. It is the job of the defense to prove to the League, and the fans, that they can step up their game and help out their goaltender.
The biggest change the Bruins made this off-season is the acquisition of Goalie Manny Fernandez. The Bruins acquired Fernandez from theMinnesota Wild in exchange for Petr Kalus. The 33-year-old adds much needed stability to the Bruin’s shaky goaltending unit. Backing up Fernandez this season will be last year’s starter, Tim Thomas. Thomas started nearly 60 games last season, winning about half his games. Many critics now believe with a stable goalie, the Bruins have all the pieces to the puzzle to make a playoff push. Boston Bruin’s management, teammates, and fans all believe this year’s team has a realistic shot at getting out of the basement of the division and making a post-season run. If the offense plays as well as last season, the defense improves, and the goaltending is stable, I believe we will all be watching as the Bruins compete in the playoffs this year and make a push for the Stanley Cup.
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