Well, I hope you had a great Halloween, eating candy and trick-or-treating like a normal person. Hopefully, you were full of (almond) joy.
Me? I was thinking about the Bruins.
My friend and I hopped on a 5:30 p.m. train to TD Garden for Monday’s game against the Florida Panthers.
Three periods and an overtime later, I was happy for a puckload of reasons.
First, a come-from-behind, 3-2 win against the team that eliminated us is a good start to the Bruins’ forgiveness tour – yes, I’m still upset about April.
But, secondly, there was a feeling – a feeling I haven’t felt in a while.
When we were trailing 2-0, I never felt like we were going to lose the game. I looked at Marchand, Pastrnak, McAvoy, and company, thinking to myself: “We got this.”
And, I was right. Marchand scored, then McAvoy, followed by Zacha in overtime, and that was all she wrote.
The Bs have started the season 8-0-1 with 29 goals and just 14 against. Pastrnak is third in points, and rookie Matthew Poitras is neck-and-neck with first overall pick Connor Bedard (Chicago) in rookie points.
Look, there are three ways this season goes. We either repeat last season (win Presidents’ Trophy, lose in playoffs), fall off completely, or win the Stanley Cup.
Will us diehards be treated to our first Cup since 2011, or will the Bruins turn out to be a giant (milk) dud?
Let’s talk about what we have going for us.
Boston has a top-five player in Pastrnak, top-five defenseman in McAvoy, and another elite player in Marchand.
I’ll put that big three up against anyone. Yes, I’m looking at you, McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins.
We also have an out-of-nowhere, yet pleasant surprise in Poitras, who was easily Boston’s top player Monday night.
Our goalie pairing of Ullmark and Swayman is an elite duo between the pipes, and much of our roster (Carlo, Lucic, DeBrusk, van Riemsdyk, Coyle, Shattenkirk) has playoff experience.
That’s all well and good, but…
We don’t have a star center without Bergeron, our bottom-six forwards are, eh, and Lucic is too old to be our primary enforcer.
Yes, enforcer. I know this isn’t 1975, or even 2010, but it’s still important in today’s game.
It’s also a brain test, too, you know?
Seriously. Close your eyes and just picture if this roster can win a Stanley Cup.
Go.
No matter what kind of glory, or heartbreak, your mind gravitates towards, there are still unanswered questions.
Is Marchand too old to be our secondary goal-scorer in a four-round postseason run? Is a bottom-six forward like Trent Frederic able to score big postseason goals (à la Paille against Chicago in 2013)?
We just don’t know.
If you’ve read this far, that means you might want my answer, and, guys, I hate to say this…
We have enough starpower to win a round or two, but nothing more – yet.
If we make some moves at the deadline, we’ll talk again.
