Boston has been historically good at hockey, with years of history and championships. With a storied history of winning and consistent playoff births, everybody is worried about the Bruins on their schedule. Even sports betters are affected by this, with sports betting sites favoring Bruins so much that betting on them feels like playing the best online casino.
The Bruins are, without a doubt, the best team in hockey this year. They are ranked No. 1 in the NHL power rankings and boast the best win-loss percentage at 20-3. They lead the league in score differential, have the highest save percentage in the league, lead the league in goals allowed per game, and are third in the league in scoring. The Bruins are the most well-rounded and best team in hockey, and it isn’t very close.
However, this success was a bit of a surprise. Last year Boston was a wild-card playoff team and a first-round exit, and now they are projected to be the best team in the league by the end of the year. Their journey to the top was surprising but deserved nonetheless.
2021 Bruins
Last year’s Bruins team was quite honestly a disappointment. They were serviceable and held a record above .500, but they were barely a playoff team. Boston was middle of the pack in goals scored, but top 10 in save percentage. There wasn’t anything special, and their roster was riddled with smaller injuries.
However, they made a run in the first round against an incredibly talented Hurricanes team. They held the series to 7 games, losing by 1 in the last game. It was quite impressive and caught the eyes of many fans. It may have been the catalyst for what was to come, and we had no idea.
New Year, New Bears
The Bruins are good. Very good. What makes them good is their offensive prowess and goalie play. This is where star players David Pastrnak and Linus Ullmark come in. Pastrnak is an offensive player while Ullmark holds down the goal.
Pastrnak is tied for 5th in the league in points scored with 34, while also being 5th in goals scored at 16. He also sits just outside the top 10 in assists with 18, making him one of the most versatile players in the league.
While he may be great at his position, Ullmark is the best at his. He holds down the goalie spot and is the only explanation to why Boston is so good. He leads the league in saves per game and saves percentage, without a doubt the No. 1 goalie in the NHL right now. He also happens to be the only player in NHL with less than 2 goals allowed per game, a mark impressive to most.
What’s Next?
There are not many realities where the Bruins slow down soon. This is not a team on a hot streak or finding some sort of miracle success, their winning and play are consistent and strong. The players are well-conditioned, their fundamentals are superior, and they skate circles around everyone on the ice.
This team leads the league in every stat and they are about a quarter of the way through the season. Jim Montgomery as head coach seems to be a great move, as many doubted the Bruins after forcing out Bruce Cassidy.
Boston fans rejoice with their team’s success while the rest of the league groans about more Boston dominance. Their progression after just one year shows resilience and determination, which has propelled them to the top.
Whether they remain this good is to be seen, as a good team historically hit a wall and slow down. However, regardless of this, they will still remain at the top of the league. There is a very near future where the Bruins become a Stanley Cup contender every year, and this is just the beginning.
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