Nothing comes near to the dynasty that can be said about the Boston Bruins. If there is anything that could sober up Bruins supporters, it’s undoubtedly the fact that they are so close to being a great one. They might have had three Cups over eight seasons as the Hawks or Penguins if Zdeno Chara had missed the opposite side of the post in Game 1 of the 2013 series against the Hawks and if Brad Marchand had perhaps bothered to attend the 2019 Final. These things in hockey are that close together. There hasn’t been a team in the NHL with a more extended history of regular-season excellence, but they won’t raise a flag for it, and fans won’t hoist drinks in celebration of it. 

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The best hockey record is held by the Bruins (9-1-0). To defeat the Penguins, 6-5 in overtime, they had to come back from a three-goal deficit while playing on the road in Pittsburgh. Hampus Lindholm amassed four points, one goal and three assists, and six goals from different players as they accomplished their aim. And two months sooner than anticipated, Marchand made his return. He has returned to make everyone miserable. Lindholm, a deadline acquisition from last year, has been the big story for Boston in place of McAvoy as the top pairing while he recovers from offseason surgery. 

One major player soaking up Montgomery’s system changes is Matt Grzelcyk, a sneaky good transition D-man who has been busting bums on the bottom pairing for the Bs for a time. Additionally, both have noticed an increase in the quality of the Bruins’ chances when they are on the ice. The charts show how much emphasis Montgomery places on putting the ball into better shooting positions instead of simply shooting at every available opportunity, as his predecessor Bruce Cassidy preferred. The Bruins’ defensive reputation, which has remained constant despite three different coaches, hasn’t changed. David Pastrnak, who once again played away from Bergeron, has carried the offensive burden upfront.