Can Boston Win the Atlantic?

Despite a slow start, the Boston Bruins occupy third place in the Atlantic Division, with +1700 NHL odds to win the division.

The Bruins retooled their roster this past offseason, bringing Elias Lindholm in to fill the hole left by Patrice Bergeron’s retirement. Unfortunately, the roster additions haven’t clicked.

Early struggles led to HC Jim Montgomery’s ousting, and Vezina Trophy candidate Jeremy Swayman hasn’t lived up to his potential. Yet, the Bruins are only four points behind the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs for the division lead.

Can the Bruins overcome that gap and win the Atlantic Division crown? Here’s what has to happen.

Consistency Must Come

The Bruins can’t string wins together, and they can’t find in-game consistency. Look no further than the recent two-game series with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Boston and Columbus were tied 1-1 after the first period when a lazy line change spurred a three-goal blizzard by the Blue Jackets. Columbus won the game 6-2.

The Bruins rebounded in the second game, playing their best 60 minutes of the entire season in a 4-0 win. While the win lifted spirits, the Bruins have to start winning chunks of games to make a push in the Atlantic Division standings.

They Need Scoring Help

Bruins brass hoped the acquisition of C Elias Lindholm would help David Pastrnak return to his 62-goal form of 2022-23. Instead, Pasta is on pace for under 30 goals, his worst total since his second season.

Lindholm is in a deep funk offensively, with only six goals and 13 assists on the season.

Underperforming stars highlight the Bruins’ primary weakness—a lack of scoring. Boston averages 2.62 goals per game, one of the weakest offensive outputs in the NHL.

The Bruins will have to buy scoring at the trade deadline, but who is realistically available?

JT Miller and Chris Kreider are the biggest fish in the trade deadline pond. Miller and Kreider play on teams with playoff aspirations, and won’t come cheap.

One player to watch is Rickard Rakell of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins are in Wild Card contention but are also in the midst of a “rebuild on the fly” around Sidney Crosby. Sneaking into the playoffs won’t likely change GM Kyle Dubas’ plan.

Rakell is an attractive trade target. He’s under contract for another three seasons and is on pace to score 35 goals this year. He’s also playing for the Penguins, who’ve signaled their seller status to the rest of the league.

Swayman Must Perform

Jeremy Swayman needs to be better. His current record of 13-11-3 isn’t good enough. Neither is his 2.90 GAA or .891% SV.

Joonas Korpisalo is playing well as a backup, and interim HC Joe Sacco may have to give him more starts.

The Bruins offense isn’t giving Swayman much cushion. Perfection with an underperforming offense isn’t the best recipe for success, but the Bruins need him to steal some games to push for the Atlantic Division crown.

Regardless, they’ll need Swayman to regain his form.