Concerns Mount as Bruins’ Defensive Performance Falters

Bruins’ lackluster defensive play is becoming a legit concern originally appeared on
NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins’ success over the last 15 years is closely related to elite defense, with the B’s winning more regular season games since 2007-08 than any other franchise.

Boston is off to a strong start this season, entering Monday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets with a 14-3-3 record and sharing the most points in the NHL standings.

However, there are growing concerns about the Bruins’ defensive performance. If these issues persist, it could lead to another early playoff exit for the team.

The Bruins recently struggled defensively, losing 5-2 to the Detroit Red Wings at home and conceding 7-4 to the Rangers in games where they gave up 122 shot attempts, 69 shots on goal, 65 scoring chances, 31 high-danger chances, and 12 goals.

“I think it’s a continuum,” Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery commented on the last two games. “We played similarly. Not willing to forecheck. Not willing to work for offense. And then the breakdowns defensively. We’re not giving our goaltenders an opportunity like we were before of stopping strong-side shots. They’ve got to worry about the weak side. They’ve got to worry about the back post. Unfortunately, our habits and details have kind of eroded on us defensively here in the last two games.”

“Did we sense this coming? We’ve been giving up a fair amount of chances,” Montgomery added. “The East-West chances are something that we hadn’t been giving up as often.”

The Bruins have the league’s best goalie tandem in Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark, but their defense struggled against the Rangers.

“It’s unacceptable,” Bruins center Charlie Coyle expressed. “That team played a back-to-back and we looked like it way more than they did. And that’s not fair to our goalies who’ve been so great for us. We’ve left them out to dry the last couple.”

The Bruins faced weaker opponents in their first 10 games, claiming victory nine times. However, they have had a harder schedule in their last 10 games and their defensive issues appear to be a long-term concern.

There have been few instances in the last 15 years when the Bruins have ranked 20th or worse in these defensive performance metrics.

The penalty kill has also declined for the Bruins, dropping from the league’s top-ranked unit to 19th over the last 10 games.

Despite relying on elite goaltending, the Bruins can’t expect their goalies to save them every night. There’s a need to improve defensively if the Bruins are to be a serious contender for the Stanley Cup.

An early playoff spot seems likely for the Bruins, but aiming for a deeper playoff run requires addressing their defensive issues. The team’s response to these recent struggles will be telling of their potential for playoff success.