Since the Bruins completely lackluster effort in a Feb. 17 loss to the New York Islanders, the Bruins have been clicking on all cylinders.
Winners of six straight, things are going very well for the Bruins, Monday’s 7-0 shutout of the LA Kings the latest example.
Here are some thoughts on Jake DeBrusk, Jeremy Swayman and more…
Where has this Jake DeBrusk been?
I’m not going to beat a dead horse here when it comes to Jake DeBrusk. We know how it goes: goals come in bunches, cold streaks, healthy scratches, line demotions and trade requests. But this Jake DeBrusk? Well, we’ve never seen this version before.
Take the goal scoring out of the equation—seven in his last five games—and DeBrusk is still playing the game the way he needs to be. He’s getting to the net, he’s using his body to create space, he’s winning puck battles and much more.
In other terms, he’s doing the things that he knows he needs to do to stay in the lineup, of course, when pucks are not going in the back of the net like they are now.
When examining what DeBrusk is doing, it’s easy to ask is this just another hot streak for DeBrusk, one where he’s playing his absolute best? Or is this just a product of playing well alongside two studs in Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron?
In the past DeBrusk has been given opportunities on the Bruins top line, failing to do anything with his chances.
The Bruins have an obvious need on the wing, one that could be solved by DeBrusk being anything close to this DeBrusk. Sure, seven goals in five games is probably not a sustainable pace for him, but just simply playing the right way with Marchand and Bergeron will lead to continued production.
The NHL’s trade deadline is 20 days away, DeBrusk’s stock has certainly increased, so has his production.
Jeremy Swayman tabbed rookie of the month
Whatever happened to Swayman when he was sent down to Providence during the brief return of Tuukka Rask did wonders for the rookie.
Since his recall, Swayman is 5-1-1 with a .953 save percentage and a 1.31 goals-against average.
Among goalies with five or more appearances in that span, Swayman is second in save percentage, first in goals-against average and tied for first with two shutouts.
Swayman has quickly emerged as the Bruins No.1 goalie and should get the bulk of starts down the stretch, deservingly so.
Even early in the year when Swayman was going through some issues, the youngster was continuing to improve night in and night out. And now, it’s paying off for both he and the Bruins.
Should the Bruins go all in?
Baring an absolute collapse by the Bruins, or an insane run by a team like the Blue Jackets or Red Wings, the Bruins are going to make the playoffs.
Despite trailing the Maple Leafs for the final spot in the Atlantic by six points, the Bruins are sitting pretty in the Eastern Conference. The Bruins hold onto the conference’s top wild card spot by three points with two games in hand on the Capitals entering Tuesday.
From there, they hold a 13-point lead over the Blue Jackets in the wild card. The Bruins won’t have much to panic about as the season winds down, playoff seeding the focus.
Like many other teams around the league, the Bruins have needs. As discussed above, a top-six right wing one of them. A second line center and a middle to top-six defensemen are also pressing needs.
As the Bruins are built right now, they’re not a Stanley Cup contender, but could filling those holes get the Bruins there?
If general manager Don Sweeney and company want to seriously compete for a Stanley Cup this season, they’re going to have to push the chips all in.
Bergeron and Marchand aren’t getting any younger and this truly could be their last kick at the can. So, what the heck, why not?
We’ve seen Sweeney’s hesitation of late to move his first-round pick in any trade, especially for any sort of a rental. But with the Bruins lack of top to middle tiered prospects, he may have to part ways with one.
If the Bruins are going to take one more legitimate swing at a potential Stanley Cup, it’s going to come at the cost of the Bruins future, or at least, the next few seasons.
But let’s be honest here, if the Bruins move a second rounder, and a few middle to low tiered prospects to add some depth for their playoff run, what will the next say, three seasons look like?
As exciting as the potential of prospects like Fabian Lysell and Mason Lohrei are, it’s unlikely they’re making a big enough impact to change the course of the franchise in the next few years.
So again, what the heck, why not go all in?