Bruins-Devils: 5 Things To Watch For In The Bruins' Home Opener
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Bruins have been uneven over the course of their first three games of the season, all played on the road. But at the end of the day, four points out of six is a good start - certainly far better than last season.
Now hitting their home ice for the first time in the 2016-17 season and getting Patrice Bergeron back, the Bruins face a New Jersey Devils team that is tied for last in the NHL with just three goals scored so far this season - and this is after they traded defenseman Adam Larsson for winger Taylor Hall, one of the more dynamic offensive threats in the league.
However, the Devils are also tied for fourth in the league with just six goals against, so there's a chance that this turns out to be a low-scoring affair. Here's what to watch for in the Bruins' home opener ...
1. Bergy's back. Judge the Bruins' performance through three games however you want, but there's no denying that they had a massive hole in their lineup playing without Bergeron. Linemates Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak are off to outstanding starts on offense, anyway, so it will be exciting to see how the top line performs with No. 37 back at center.
Besides the obvious boosts from his presence in the lineup, one particular area where Bergeron will make a noticeable impact is on faceoffs. David Backes has won only 42.9 percent of his faceoffs while centering Marchand and Pastrnak so far this season. That number will go way up with Bergeron at the faceoff dot.
Speaking of Backes, he's moving to right wing on the second line, which brings us to the next topic ...
2. How will David Krejci play? Maybe it's subpar linemates. Maybe it's the hip. Whatever the cause, Krejci just hasn't looked the same so far this season.
Now, Krejci gets Backes flanking him on the right, which will give him a similar linemate to that of former teammates Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton. Krejci has thrived in the past with players like Backes on his wing, so the hope is that No. 42 opens up the ice for Krejci, protects him physically, and gives him a linemate who can bury scoring chances around the net.
Krejci's passing hasn't looked as bad as his skating so far, so hopefully, he can find the tape of Backes' stick against the Devils.
3. Can the Devils be exposed? New Jersey has only given up six goals in its first three games and goalie Cory Schneider has been outstanding. But they have played an undermanned Florida Panthers team and a mostly offensively-challenged Anaheim Ducks squad. The Tampa Bay Lightning potted three of those six goals against the Devils, and the Bruins are similarly talented on offense.
Schneider has, in a way, bailed the Devils out so far in 2016-17. They've allowed more shots on goal (92) than they've attempted (86). Their two highest-minute defensemen, Andy Greene and Ben Lovejoy, have compiled poor puck possession numbers. The way the Devils have played defensively is not sustainable, and barring a stand-on-his-head performance by Schneider, it's possible that the Devils let a few sneak past the goal line in this tough road matchup against the Bruins' more talented forwards.
However ... the Devils got exactly that kind of game out of their goalie last time they played the Bruins - and it was by Keith Kinkaid, in New Jersey back on March 29. The Bruins out-shot the Devils 40-15 in that game, yet lost 2-1. So that brings us to the next question ...
4. Can the Bruins finish their scoring chances? Not sure what it is about the Devils that seems to poke holes in any argument defending advanced puck possession stats, but I digress. That game in March showed that controlling the puck for the majority of the game means little when your opponent has a hot goalie - or when your own players simply can't bury their chances.
Much like the Bruins' insufferable 2014 Conference Semifinal loss to the Montreal Canadiens, the problem wasn't so much that they lacked opportunities to score, but that once they got them they found ways to clang the puck off the post or miss the net entirely. The March 29 loss to the Devils was similarly frustrating, but in theory, the Bruins have improved in the finishing department in 2016-17.
David Pastrnak looks to have taken a leap forward on offense in the early-going, while Brad Marchand has at times looked like the best player on the ice. Add Bergeron to that line, and pair Backes and Krejci together, and the Bruins should be able to generate some legit chances against the Devils - and, hopefully, finish the job.
5. Can Tuukka Rask keep it going? The Bruins goalie stole a game on Monday against the Winnipeg Jets, stopping 34 shots and making several key saves at crucial points in the game off Bruins defensive breakdowns. But now, the question is whether Rask can play like that again.
Rask played decently enough in the season opener against Columbus after allowing a goal on the first shot of the game, but you can't discount that goal as it was one of the softer ones of Rask's entire career. It set a bad tone, but the Bruins eventually came back to win that game and Rask redeemed himself in Winnipeg.
It's clear that Rask has the ability to take over a game like he pretty much did in Winnipeg on Monday, but the question is whether he can do it consistently. Thursday night is his first chance to prove that he can.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.