"When the Boston Bruins made the Stanley Cup Playoffs 15 times in an 17-year span from 2007-08 through 2023-24, the foundation of their success was being a strong defensive team. Sure, having elite goaltending during much of that span helped a lot. But the Bruins were really tough to play against, and opponents had to earn every Grade A scoring chance. The B's allowed the fewest goals and ranked No. 1 in penalty kill percentage over that 17-year run."
"The B's rank 31st in expected goals against but 16th in actual goals against at even strength, which is a testament to how well the goaltending has been at certain points in the season. For example, without Jeremy Swayman posting a .935 in 10 November appearances, the B's would be in far worse shape. The Bruins are not making life easy for Swayman. Only one goalie -- Juuse Saros of the Predators -- has faced more high-danger shots against than Swayman's 251."
The Bruins built sustained success on elite defense and strong goaltending, allowing the fewest goals and leading the league in penalty kill over a 17-year span. That defensive identity has deteriorated, with Boston now among the NHL's 10 worst defensive teams. Recent poor defensive play plus inconsistent goaltending has led to a slide from a tie for first in the Atlantic to seventh place, three points out of a playoff spot after losing seven of nine. The team has allowed four or more goals 16 times, ranks 25th in even-strength shot attempts allowed, sixth-most high-danger chances against, and 31st in expected goals against, while goaltending has occasionally masked the issues.
Read at NBC Sports Boston
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]