The Bruins scored 257 goals last season, 11th most in the NHL. Of those 257, 156 came five-on-five. The Bruins finished 19th in five-on-five goals in 2018-19. And of those 257 goals, 65 came on the power play, third most in the league.
Through seven games of the 2019-20 season, the Bruins are showing a similar trend.
With a top power play unit that features the likes of Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos, among others, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper knows a thing or two about good power play units. But the Lightning’s bench boss thinks his club saw the best in the league Thursday night.
“That's probably the best power play in the league,” Cooper said following his team’s shootout victory over the Bruins. “Okay you give them one, maybe you give them two, you can't give them three.”
Three was the number of power play goals scored by the Bruins Thursday night. An entertaining contest that saw the Lightning earn the extra point with Stamkos’ goal serving as the only one scored in the shootout.
The Bruins power play accounted for all three of the team’s goals.
Entering their tilt with the Lightning Thursday, the Bruins had the benefit of the league’s fourth ranked power play. Their three-for-five night with the man advantage pushed them up to second in the league, converting on 38.1 % of their power play opportunities to date.
The Edmonton Oilers are owners of the league’s top power play, scoring on a ridiculous 45.5 % of their opportunities.
“Right now we’re lucky we have the power play rolling,” said Torey Krug who assisted on two of the three power play strikes “They can kind of bail us out sometimes.”
Power Play Goal 1:
The power play play has indeed bailed the Bruins out, but a little more than the “sometimes” Krug referred to. From an offensive standpoint, the Bruins ability to score on the power play has pushed them to a 5-1-1 start to the season.
Power Play Goal 2:
"We have so many different traits. All three of us (Brad Marchand, Pastrnak and Krug) can shoot the puck, that’s how we score the first goal,” Pastrnak said following his two goal performance Thursday night. “When the kill wants to take Marchy [Marchand] and me away, then Torey needs to recognize the shooting and that's what he exactly did. It's tough for the kill. I think every one of us on the power plays can score and that's what's been clicking, using different options all the time."
Power Play Goal 3:
With the Bruins power play as effective as it has been, and the team sitting with just one regulation loss through seven games, it’s enticing to think about what this team can do if five-on-five and secondary scoring finally comes to life.
“Well, we win the game, right, tonight, if we get secondary scoring from anybody,” said head coach Bruce Cassidy. “I think we’re stating the obvious saying that. Having said that, our record is pretty good without it, but I don’t think it’s sustainable.”
The Bruins are 22nd in the league with 11 five-on-five goals. Seven of those 11 coming off the sticks of Marchand and Pastrnak.
Where have the four other five-on-five goals come from you ask? Brett Ritchie, Krug, Zdeno Chara and Joakim Nordstrom.
Gross.
“Power play is going well right now, but I think we should focus on five-on-five, get a little bit more to the net and funnel more pucks definitely,” added Pastrnak. “Get our offense creating from the shot and recover the rebounds and that’s when our skills can take over as a team.”
The Bruins have plenty of skill. Guys like Patrice Bergeron, Jake DeBrusk, Charlie McAvoy and David Krejci—who missed Thursday’s contest with an upper-body injury—are too talented to be kept off the board five-on-five. At some point, pucks will start to go in.
Consistently getting production five-on-five is what the Bruins seek the most, something that was one of their biggest downfalls a season ago.
The power play can only carry them so far, and for so long.
Up next for the Bruins is a home-and-home with the Maple Leafs beginning Saturday in Toronto. Will a trip north of the border be what the Bruins need to open the five-on-five floodgates?
We will soon find out.
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