Many factors involved in Bruins’ hot start
Other than when a pandemic intercedes, the Stanley Cup nowadays is handed out in June, days before the official start of summer and long after anyone remembers much of hot October starts.
For Exhibit A, look to Buffalo, where the Bruins, hotter than Albert Brooks in “Broadcast News,” next Saturday night will face the Sabres. Just three years ago, the distant sons of Gil Perreault opened with a blistering 8-2-0 mark, then collapsed over the next 59 games (22-29-8).
The Bruins, and their franchise-best 10-1-0 start, took on the Maple Leafs in Toronto Saturday night and, thankfully, these Jim Montgomery Bruins are not your 2019-20 Ralph Krueger Sabres. To borrow from the ecology handbook, there should be some sustainability to what we’ve witnessed to this point. Some of the most impressive points:
■ First and foremost, Montgomery. In less than a month, the ex-Maine Black Bear has cooled the lament over general manager Don Sweeney and team president Cam Neely abandoning a popular/successful Bruce Cassidy in the desert (for a cool $5 million-a-year payday, don’t ya know?). Good on them all, especially the 53-year-old “Monty,” who, if his start had been around .500, would have been feeling the desert heat of Cassidy’s 10-2-0 start with Vegas.
Cassidy’s Bruins never played with the pace or execution that we’ve seen from Montgomery’s charges the first three-plus weeks. That’s a product of his X’s and O’s, his day-to-day game and practice management (including ample days off ), and the buy-in he’s fostered across the roster.
One of Montgomery’s key tools is praise, individual praise, such as referring to Charlie Coyle as a “beast” and noting that Hampus Lindholm is “the most underrated defenseman in the league.”
No Bruins coach since Don Cherry, who long ago had us convinced that John Wensink was headed to the Hall of Fame, has smooched out so many Black and Gold chef ’s kisses. Another week of these results, and Bill Belichick will be telling us he sees “a lot of Johnny Unitas in that Mac Jones kid.”
The Monty magic is working and those public kisses paying off, a reminder that even adults playing a kid’s game for a living respond to overt praise from the boss.
■ The surge/renaissance in play from Jake DeBrusk and Nick Foligno.
The wingers are entirely different performers.
DeBrusk, who wanted out if Cassidy remained in, is using his abundant speed effectively and showing more inclination to get to the net (plenty more needed, by the way). He’s again looking like a worthy first-round pick. Question remains: Will he evolve into a bona fide leader/driver of the offense, like, say, Mike Gartner, a prolific blazer from long ago.
Last Friday, following his breakaway goal in Columbus, I asked the once-disgruntled DeBrusk if he is coming to the rink each day with more energy, a different mind-set?
“It’s a pretty normal day in the life of Jake DeBrusk,” said DeBrusk. “I’m comfortable. I get chirped a lot [by teammates]. Nothing’s really changed. I don’t really have a different mind-set
It’s a great time to be at the rink right now. We’re rolling, lots of fun things going on. I just try to stay hidden from the chirps.”
Meanwhile, the 35-year-old Foligno, 3-4—7 in the first 11 games, must have chugged Prevagen pills over the summer. His memory has recovered his game from his late 20s, when he captained the Blue Jackets.
At no time last season did Foligno have these legs and hands. His charge up the right side in Pittsburgh Tuesday night was a thing of beauty, bursting wide on the wing and pinpointing his pass into the slot for Jakub Lauko to snap home for career goal No. 1. It was hard to tell who looked younger, Foligno or the kid with the beaming smile.
■ Lindholm’s emergence on offense. Some of this is because Charlie McAvoy has remained hors de combat following offseason shoulder surgery. But as of Friday morning, Lindholm ranked No. 3 in scoring among NHL blue liners with his 4-9—13 line. Two of those goals, by the way, were wired from about 180 feet into empty nets. Now that’s scoring touch.
Keep in mind, Lindholm, 28, never produced more than 7-27—34 in all his years with the Ducks. Suddenly, he’s delivering at a 97-point pace? Holy Helsingborg! He’s getting those prime power-play point minutes with McAvoy sidelined. Montgomery might be hard pressed, at least initially, to yank Lindholm from PP1 upon McAvoy’s return. The 6-foot-4-inch Lindholm is a horse. Big. Light on his feet. Smart. Montgomery has teased more out his offensive game by putting more on his plate and encouraging him to attack (witness his wraparound on Coyle’s go-ahead goal, 2-1, Thursday at Madison Square Garden).
Lindholm and McAvoy stand to be the back end’s Patrice Bergeron-David Krejci tandem for years to come. Will be fascinating to see how they develop in tandem.
■ Linus Ullmark’s hot start. Unlike last year, his first with the Bruins, the Swedish stopper has been at the top of his game since puck drop No. 1. His lone stinker was Tuesday in Pittsburgh, where Montgomery yanked him when the Penguins’ lead reached 5-2 midway through the second period.
Following the win Thursday in New York, Ullmark was 8-0-0 with a .929 save percentage. Awaiting word from Montgomery that he’s the modern-day amalgamation of Dominik Hasek, Ken Dryden, and Georges Vezina.
OK, now the one caveat (you knew it was coming): Bergeron is 37 and Krejci is 36. Heading into the weekend, the elite pivots had logged 2,520 games, including more than 300 in the playoffs.
Which is to say, age and wear on the 1-2 centers, the key drivers of Boston’s offense, present a legit concern over the duration of the schedule. Bergeron is already making liberal, smart use of maintenance days. Krejci has been recovering from the recent body slam he took from behemoth Red Wings center
Michael Rasmussen.
Coyle (four goals across the last four games upon leaving New York) has been excellent. But he and No. 4 pivot
Tomas Nosek would not be prime candidates to fill No. 1 or 2 center duty.
So it’s good to see Pavel Zacha get some reps in Krejci’s spot, and maybe
Marc McLaughlin, now with Providence, would be worthy of a look there, too.
It would be a mistake, for sure, to dwell on the potential vulnerability. But it’s there, as it was before the season began, as other concerns existed, too. Thus far, Monty magic has made them all go away.