Boston Bruins Schedule, Standings, and News
There is no question that the Boston Bruins have been the class of the NHL during the 2022-23 season thus far. They are clearly the favorites to win the Stanley Cup in 2023, which means there is a lot of excitement for the team’s future. For fans, there has never been a better time to buy Bruins tickets because the team is in the midst of a potentially historic season. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that and check out such a special team in person? But before we look at the Bruins’ schedule for the rest of the season and what lies ahead, let’s take a quick look back at what’s happened to this point in the season and where things stand heading into the second half of the season.
Season Recap
The Bruins shot out of the gate this season, winning 10 of their first 11 games. During that stretch, half of their wins came by multiple goals. By the end of November, Boston had 19 wins and just three losses, shooting to the top of the Atlantic Division. Granted, the Bruins started to slow down a little in December, but that just meant suffering one loss and four overtime losses over the team’s 14 games in that month. The Bruins quickly got back on track in January, putting together two winning streaks of at least four games. In fact, the Bruins didn’t lose their first game at home in regulation until January 12, showing just how dominant they’ve been at TD Garden this season.
Boston’s early success has given the Bruins a lead of more than 10 points in both the Atlantic Division and the no. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Naturally, they have the best goal difference in the NHL, which is more than 30 points higher than any other team. At their current pace, the Bruins will finish the regular season with close to 130 points, surpassing the current franchise record of 121 points that Boston set during the 1970-71 season. Of course, the Bruins failed to win the Stanley Cup that season despite lifting the cup the year before and the year after.
Star Players
Without question, David Pastrnak has been Boston’s biggest star of the season. Through 45 games, he leads the Bruins in both goals with 35 and assists with 28. Pastrnak ranks second in the NHL in goals, behind only Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, and is fourth in the league in total points with 63. Left-winger Brad Marchand has been almost as important as Pastrnak this season. In fact, Marchand is tied with Pastrnak with 28 assists and ranks second on the team in goals with 43 despite playing just 37 games. Center David Krejci isn’t far behind with 11 goals and 26 assists, with Patrice Bergeron also chipping in 17 goals and 19 assists, giving the Bruins a large collection of attacking talent.
Meanwhile, the Bruins have excelled at the defensive end of the ice, conceding the fewest goals in the NHL. That is largely due to all-star goal Linus Ullmark, who leads the league in save percentage and is the only goalie to average fewer than two goals against per game. Defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy also deserve a lot of credit. Both have contributed 24 assists this season and have logged more minutes than any other defensemen on Boston’s roster.
The Road Ahead
Even with a substantial lead in the standings, the season is far from over for the Bruins. For starters, they will close out January and begin February with a five-game road trip that includes stops against the Lightning and Maple Leafs, the two teams that are directly behind them in the Atlantic Division standings. In fact, the Bruins will play seven of their ten games in February on the road, including a West Coast swing that could be among Boston’s toughest stretches of the season.
Of course, fans can look forward to multiple homestands during the month of March. That schedule includes games against rivals like the Sabres, Rangers, and Canadiens. There are also some intriguing games on Bruins’ schedule late in the season during the first half of April. The Bruins will play road games against the Penguins and Blues while also hosting the Maple Leafs and Devils. For the Bruins, the regular season comes to a close on April 13 in Montreal.
Top Competitors
Despite the Bruins being the obvious favorites to win the 2023 Stanley Cup, it’s far from a done deal. The Lightning still has a lot of players from the teams that won two of the last three Stanley Cups and lost in last year’s finals. That experience will make them a difficult team to knock off during the Eastern Conference playoffs. It’s also hard to write off the Maple Leafs, Devils, and Hurricanes. Toronto, in particular, is one of the few teams to hand Boston a loss in regulation this season.
The Western Conference also has a few teams that could give the Bruins trouble. In mid-January, the Kraken handed the Bruins a 3-0 loss. They are among the best teams in that conference and could prove challenging for Boston if the teams meet in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Stars, Jets, Knights, Kings, and Oilers are also potential contenders in the Western Conference who aren’t going to roll over in the Finals. While everything has gone well for the Bruins to this point in the season, there are still plenty of challenges that await them if they hope to win the Stanley Cup in 2023.