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The Boston Bruins are 2-0, and there’s plenty to talk about both in the short-term and long-term.
For this episode of the Sports Hub Underground, Ty Anderson and I tried to take the big-picture view on the Bruins, as they emerged from their latest win over the Nashville Predators. Listen above for the full podcast.
One of the big topics was the identity of the team with Brad Marchand at captain, which appears to be a team that’s going to be feisty and get under opponents’ skin. No surprise, if they’re taking on Marchand’s personality. But as we saw against Nashville and could see in a lot of games going forward, that kind of team can have its share of benefits and costs.
Oct 14, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) talks with referee Garrett Rank (7) during the second period of a game against the Nashville Predators at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
Yes, the Marchand-era Bruins are going to annoy opponents, ideally into frustration, but it could also mean they have to kill off a lot of penalties. At the same time, their penalty kill is going to be very good and could really test teams’ patience that way.
That paid off for them against the Preds, when they went 7-for-7 on proper penalty kills (they did give up a goal during a delayed call) and cashed in on their own power play against a flustered Preds team in the third period.
Also on this week’s episode of the SHUG: the Bruins are going to get a good test in Los Angeles against the Kings’ center depth, and Ty’s not sleeping on the games in Anaheim or Chicago, for various reasons. That, plus a brand-new “Big 3.”
