Without Brad Marchand, Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk to start the season, the Bruins offense is missing some key pieces on both ends of the ice.
Marchand’s 32 goals, McAvoy’s 46 assists, Grzelcyk’s 24 points—all contributors to the Bruins 3.09 goals per game last season, ranking the Bruins 15th in goals per game.
But through the 2022-23 season’s first three games, scoring goals has not been an issue, the Bruins leading all of the National Hockey League with 5.33 goals per game.
Not too shabby.
What’s been the most impressive about the Bruins offensive production has been the fact that the Bruins have 12 different goal scorers, 16 goals in total.
Don’t forget the Bruins are doing all of this while learning a new system under a new head coach, Jim Montgomery.
Montgomery’s message from Day 1 has been centered around quality over quantity when it comes to generating shots and possessing the puck.
It appears the message has been well received.
The Bruins offensive success in years past has mostly come on the power play. When you can send out players like Marchand, McAvoy, David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron on your top unit, that’s understandable.
But through three games under Montgomery, the Bruins have been winning games by scoring five-on-five, a welcoming change.
The Bruins have 11 five-on-five goals, one behind the Kings who lead the NHL with 12. They’ve generated 84 five-on-five shots, (9th) 88 scoring chances for (6th) and have generated 42 high-danger scoring chances for (5th).
It’s been very clear these past three games that this Bruins team is different. They’re quickly adapting to the style of play Montgomery asks of them and its yielded immediate results.
Look no further than Jake DeBrusk who has been the biggest benefiter of the coaching change—outside of the obvious rescinding of his trade request.
After leaving the Bruins season opening win against the Capitals with an injury and missing Saturday’s contest against the Coyotes, DeBrusk returned to action Monday where he was arguably the best player on the ice.
DeBrusk got the fun started with is first goal of the season just 21 seconds into the contest, adding a second later in the night and picking up an assist on Bergeron’s second period tally.
All of this coming in a game where DeBrusk wasn’t expected to play when the day began and oh, on his 26th birthday.
“I actually didn't know if I was gonna be playing on Thursday or Tuesday and then I felt good this morning,… DeBrusk said. “I was thinking possibly [Tuesday] and then I got asked, ‘Why not tonight? And I was like, 'Yeah, why not tonight?'…
Monday was another case of things going right for the Bruins on the offensive side of the puck with DeBrusk reinserted back into the lineup.
The Bruins won’t be maintaining a goals for average north of five all of season, that would be downright silly. But there’s no reason not to believe this offense can’t be one the league’s best.
That’s both with and without Marchand and McAvoy in the lineup.
“It’s one of those things where you need all hands on deck,… DeBrusk said. “To have that many guys going is only going to help our team.…