Teams can go through growing pains to begin a season. It is part of the process to get to where you want to be as a hockey team. Looking around the league, you see the Nashville Predators remain winless and still searching for their first point. That’s a team that made a lot of big additions and chemistry can take time. Well, the same can be said for the Boston Bruins.
The Bruins are another team that saw key departures, but also key additions to help round out the roster. From a forward standpoint, they are experiencing growing pains in the worst way possible. To begin the season, they have been sluggish offensively. They’ve gotten good production from the defense, as they’ve been unafraid to jump into the play. Also, the fourth line has practically carried them up until this point.
Bruins Offense Struggling During Five-on-Five Play
Pinch me if you’ve heard this before, but the Bruins’ offense is not strong during five-on-five play. This was evident during the 2023-24 season, but has remained the same in 2024-25. To this point, they rank 27th in Corsi for percentage (CF%) and are not possessing the puck nearly as often as their opponents. Also, they sit 25th in expected goals for percentage (xGF%), and while they are generating their looks, they are not suppressing the opposition nearly enough. Opponents are feasting upon scoring chances and are generating quality looks. Head coach Jim Montgomery does have the team taking the quality over quantity approach, but getting the puck toward the net needs to happen more often.
There is nothing wrong with this, but the fourth line has carried the Bruins to begin the season. Mark Kastelic, Cole Koepke, and John Beecher have been dominant and play a simple brand of hockey – and it’s effective. Together, they have an xG% of 68.1% and are averaging 4.07 expected goals for per 60 minutes. Also, they are controlling the play and limiting the opposition’s offense. The craziest part, is they have eight goals as a line with the next closest having two.
While this is a great thing, it should not be overlooked how the entire top nine is playing. The top line of Elias Lindholm, David Pastrnak, and Pavel Zacha are chasing the game more than controlling, but does have a positive goal differential. However, chemistry is still forming and it’ll take time before it finds its true form.
Finding the Right Combination
Something has to give somewhere because the offense being this poor is not acceptable. Montgomery has not been shy to bench players to either send a message or give other players a look. When the team lost Danton Heinen and Jake DeBrusk in free agency, the depth took a hit. Say what you will about DeBrusk being streaky and not being that extra layer of scoring, but his strong two-way play made him an impact player and it has not been replaced. The same can go for Heinen, who was a Swiss Army knife for the Bruins and could play with anyone and anywhere in the lineup.
The Bruins have tried numerous line combinations and they have not worked. Morgan Geekie got his looks on the second line, and it led to him being benched and scratched from the lineup. Other guys such as Justin Brazeau and Trent Frederic took that spot. Frederic actually looked better on that line than anyone, but they got caved in, averaging 4.84 expected goals against per 60 minutes, which is not good by any means.
But that’s not the only problem. Given the current roster construction, finding the right balance has been the biggest challenge for Montgomery. He is trying to get the second line going while also finding the right combination for the third line. The third line has been better since Matthew Poitras returned from his injury, but the shuffling of wingers has led to mixed results. Is Montgomery panicking? Is he exhausting all his options? What is the right solution? Well, let’s take a look.
How to Fix the Offense
There’s no denying the offense needs a boost within the top nine. In their last meeting against the Utah Hockey Club, the top three lines generated just five shots on goal during five-on-five play. That’s inexcusable and against a team that has done a poor job of suppressing the opposition. There needs to be an influx of skill offensively that can help provide a boost. Playing players out of position is detrimental and isn’t ideal going forward. There are two options, but would require some movement. According to Puck Pedia, the Bruins have just $406,000 in available salary cap space. Any move would require someone to go on waivers to create additional space.
Sign Tyler Johnson
The Bruins gave Tyler Johnson a professional tryout (PTO), which was a good idea at the time. He is a Stanley Cup champion and a veteran presence and could be a complementary winger in the middle six of the lineup. However, the Bruins opted not to sign him, but he is still practicing with the team. Heinen 2.0 from last year? Maybe.
Given the results offensively, the Bruins could use a more proven commodity. During the 2023-24 season on what was a poor Chicago Blackhawks team, Johnson scored 17 goals and 31 points. Also, he is coming off back-to-back 30 point seasons, so he could be a good depth addition for the team.
It isn’t the most ideal move, but it can certainly help the Bruins right now and even the rest of the way. They would have to create space, but Johnson is a good option to plug into the lineup.
Bring in the Kid
Are there holes in Fabian Lysell’s game? Yes. Can he be a one-dimensional player? Also yes. As much as he needs to improve on the defensive side of things and his play away from the puck, the Bruins need his offensive skill set.
Lysell plays with good speed and has tremendous skill with the puck on his stick. The play above demonstrates the tools he has offensively. Playing with guys like Charlie Coyle and Brad Marchand could complement him as a player. Granted, both those guys need to get going, but adding Lysell would give the Bruins a much-needed jolt.
The Bruins have an internal fix and he’s right in Providence. You can make a case that he may not be NHL-ready, but you truly don’t know until you plug him in. If you’re going to go through these growing pains, it’s better to do it with your young prospect than playing guys way out of position.
Figure it Out and Fast
There is no denying that the Bruins will be a good hockey team this season. They have a great goalie and the back end is among the deepest in the league. However, they need to figure out the offense and fast. Having efforts like they had against Utah is inexcusable and needs to be better. The line shuffling already is not ideal and it’s only seven games into the season. There’s plenty of hockey left, but the offense is certainly a concern.
