Are the Boston Bruins finally playing to preseason expectations?

The Boston Bruins have a pivotal matchup coming up on Saturday, and if they win it, they’ll find themselves above 0.500 again.

Wow, what a rough start it’s been for the Boston Bruins, and it’s one even a pessimist out there couldn’t have predicted. While things remain up in the air for what has been one of the league’s most successful franchises for years now, getting back to over 0.500 in points would be a leap in the right direction as the season approaches its quarter-of-the-way mark.

Since they’re just 8-8-2 but residing in the Atlantic Division’s third-place slot as I write this prior to Friday’s slate, it’s clear that this team hasn’t reached expectations to this point. With so much experience in the lineup plus reinforcements like Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov, the latter of whom I was highly critical of earlier in the week, you’d have thought this team would be neck-and-neck with the division-leading Florida Panthers, right?

Turns out, the Bruins haven’t quite been a disaster, but a minus-16 goal differential and 18 points in as many games has put them on pace to be less than average this season. But were our expectations too high for the Bruins, and should we have gone into the season with a more moderate outlook?

Boston Bruins aren’t playing to expectations, but did we expect too much?

Okay, I know the Bruins are loaded with talent despite the pedestrian results so far on the ice. This team has a surefire starter at goaltender in Jeremy Swayman, and Joonas Korpisalo hasn’t looked too bad as a backup. I know I might get some criticism for that, but whatever; Swayman’s numbers aren’t good, I get it, and Korpisalo has had his fair share of slip-ups. 

Still, the former didn’t join the team until right before the season started, and Korpisalo was initially put into a position he wasn’t suited for. These circumstances alone should have tempered our expectations.

While players like David Pastrnak have been great at times, it’s still been a down season so far for the Bruins current points leader. Injuries have recently struck this team, and one of their former players is enjoying what some might call a career year in British Columbia.

That said, the deck was stacked against the Bruins, especially when you consider how tough the Panthers already are and how the Toronto Maple Leafs, for once, addressed some key areas of concern. The Tampa Bay Lightning stole the show in free agency with Jake Guentzel, and optimism is high in Buffalo, Ottawa, and Detroit, as two of those three teams are currently better versions of themselves. 

This left the Bruins in a precarious situation, but the good news is, it’s nothing they can’t bounce back from. So, while I won’t be so bold and claim they’re playing to expectations now, it doesn’t mean that won’t be the case later in the season, so stay tuned.