As We All Thought, The Bruins Are Getting The Band Back Together For One More Farewell Tour

 

    At long last, the Bruins finally confirmed the news that we all knew was sure to be coming for months now: hours apart this morning, their longtime centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci both signed bargain one-year deals to return to Boston for what has to be a final attempt to win another elusive Stanley Cup with the black and gold. The timing of it all is one of the most interesting aspects of this expected story since Bergy took forever to thankfully decide to avoid retirement for another season while Krej apparently had more than enough of his homeland (Czech Republic) in one forgettable campaign back there. You have to wonder how much of a factor Jim Montgomery being the new head coach of the B's these days rather than that meanie Bruce Cassidy had to do with it all. 

    While it is way too easy to make fun of these moves by the Bruins on the surface, you cannot say that GM Don Sweeney has left them with many better options if they do not want to commit to a full scale rebuild. Sadly, this is what happens when you do not draft and develop well for years on end, you are forced to cling to the glory days from way back when. To their credit, Bergeron and Krejci are each taking very team friendly contracts even by hockey players' normally selfless standards. Bruins captain Patrice will make $2.5 million plus another $2.5 million in (quite attainable) performance-based incentives. David gets $1 million plus an additional $2 million in performance-based incentives. It says something about the character, professionalism, leadership and competitiveness of these guys that they both chose to play another season with the only NHL club that they have ever known rather than spend much more time with their families and friends.

    After last season, we still have a good feel for what the 37-year-old Bergeron has left in the tank because he had a real nice 2021-2022 with 25 goals, 40 assists and plus-16 in 73 regular season games followed by seven points (3 goals, 4 assists) in their seven game, first round exit vs. Carolina. Krejci is a year younger than Bergy and a bit more of a wild card since the Czechia League is a far cry from the overall quality of the NHL, sorry Jaromir Jagr! Therefore, his numbers from good old HC Olomouc are completely irrelevant. When we last saw him stateside, David had 44 points (8 goals, 36 assists) in 51 regular season games in the pandemic shortened 2020-21 season then nine points (2 goals, 7 assists) in 11 playoff games. Bergeron is probably going to end up in the Hall of Fame and Krejci has been a great Bruin-particularly in the postseason-so despite their ages, Boston is a much better team today than they were yesterday when we were not sure (yeah right!) that they would be back in the B's lineup starting next month when training camp and the preseason begin.

In A Bit Of A Surprise, UMaine's Jim Montgomery Is The New Head Coach Of Your Boston Bruins

 

    Right in time for the Fourth of July long weekend, the Bruins finally figured out who their new head coach will be for this upcoming season: former University of Maine star Jim Montgomery is here on a three-year deal worth around two million dollars per year. Most recently, the man that they call Monty (because everyone in hockey has to have a goofy nickname) was an assistant with the Blues and before that, he was the head coach of the Stars from 2018-20. Unlike the other rumored candidates that the B's had considered-namely David Quinn, Jay Leach and something called Mike Vellucci-Montgomery feels like the best choice to be the Bruins head coach for a couple of reasons. 

    While he wasn't a star by any means, Montgomery played in the NHL for 122 games on five different teams (Blues, Canadiens, Flyers, Sharks and Stars) after being undrafted following a great career at Maine capped off by an NCAA title in 1993 playing with Black Bears legend Paul Kariya. He was a pro hockey player for 14 seasons as he also competed in 451 AHL games. This means that he knows what it takes to grind and make it at the highest level. Additionally, he was a very successful college head coach from 2013-2017 at the University of Denver where he helped the Pioneers win an NCAA title in 2017. 

    He has only been an NHL head coach for less than a season and a half because after leading Dallas to the second round of the playoffs in his first year, he was fired after 31 games the next season because of a serious drinking problem that forced him to go to rehab and reevaluate his entire life. In terms of life-changing experiences, I would imagine that it doesn't get much more real than that so I'm hoping that he would be able to relate to his players on a much deeper level than most other coaches that they've ever encountered in pro hockey. In 113 games in charge of the Stars, he went 60-43-10 and then 7-6 in the playoffs.   

    Jim will have big shoes to fill since the previous Bruins head coach-Bruce Cassidy-quickly became one of the best in the NHL. There is still a good (albeit aging) nucleus in Boston: center Patrice Bergeron, left wing Brad Marchand, right wing David Pastrnak, defenseman Charlie McAvoy and goaltender Jeremy Swayman should ensure that even though it feels like they are rebuilding, the black and gold should still be in the postseason in 2022-23. The early word is that his players love Montgomery so perhaps he has a bit of a softer personality than Cassidy who was very open in his criticism of his team and players. The only thing about Jim that is hard to look past is that he's from Montreal originally but I guess that we won't hold them against him. Haha after all, nobody's perfect. 

Don't Ask Me Why But The B's Rewarded GM Don Sweeney With A Multi-Year Contract Extension

 

    Ever since former Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy was unceremoniously fired two weeks ago on a Monday night in mid-June, it's been a rather strange period of time for the black and gold. Last week, it was reported that B's captain Patrice Bergeron would be returning for another season with the club but thus far, nothing has been neither confirmed nor denied about that key piece of news. The team still doesn't have a new head coach yet with the leading candidates apparently being former BU and Rangers head coach David Quinn and former Providence Bruins and current Seattle Kraken assistant Jay Leach. Meh. Remind me again why exactly that Cassidy was fired? Today, things took another predictable but still gross turn as Boston signed its average GM Don Sweeney to a multi-year contract extension. 

    Don't get me wrong, Sweeney is a smart guy (did you know that he went to Harvard?!) and he clearly works hard at his very demanding job but his draft record is nothing short of appalling. Granted it is an inexact science and you will always miss out on countless players who develop into stars but Sweeney's swings and misses have been notorious, none more so than when he had three first round picks in 2015 and right wing Jake DeBrusk is the only one that has done anything at the NHL level. So what does he do well? His free agent signings are usually nothing impressive, leaving some decent trades to be his calling card. I will say that he has done pretty well with some of those like getting center Charlie Coyle from Minnesota and defenseman Hampus Lindholm (we hope!) from Anaheim but nothing that has set the world on fire or brought another Stanley Cup to the Bruins. 

    The fact that Sweeney is still here (where he has been working since 2015) while Cassidy has already moved on to Las Vegas is maddening. President Cam Neely is also still getting paid by the Bruins' absentee owner Jeremy "Mr. Burns" Jacobs for whatever he does (nobody is really sure what Cam is in charge of day-to-day). Don seems to be obsessed with players and coaches with ties to New England, meaning that they either are from this area or went to a local D1 hockey school like BC or BU. Hiring Quinn or even Leach who also played for the Providence Bruins and went to Providence College (go Friars!) would be another sign that he lacks the creativity and open mindedness to get the Bruins out of their current middler status in the NHL. The draft is next weekend and free agency begins in a few weeks so I'd love to believe that Sweeney should feel the pressure to drastically improve Boston's roster but unfortunately, today's news means that it'll probably be more of the same for the B's. They are just good enough to make the playoffs (all that the Jacobs family really cares about, their precious playoff crowds) but not in the same area code as the teams in the Stanley Cup Final this season-Colorado and Tampa Bay. 

For Some Stupid Reason, The Bruins Decided That Firing Bruce Cassidy Was The Right Thing To Do

 

    Nothing lasts forever in life, especially when you are the head coach of a professional sports team. You are always on borrowed time and in almost every situation, your job will end in one of two ways: either you will get fired or you will retire. Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy is a very good hockey coach and a nice guy to boot so today's news that he had been fired with a year and three million dollars left on his contract was disappointing to say the least. Rather than get rid of GM Don Sweeney or President Cam Neely, two guys who you could question way more, the Jacobs family that owns and occasionally pays attention to the B's decided that Cassidy deserved to go after his teams reached the postseason in all six years that he was in charge of the Black and Gold. 

    After a first-round playoff exit in seven games against Carolina last month, you knew that something was bound to change for the B's as they fade further away from Stanley Cup contention with each passing year. Again, they were eliminated over two weeks ago so the lag time for this rash move seems like they had no conviction behind it. You can argue how much the head coach even matters in the NHL but for what it's worth, Cassidy did win the Jack Adams Award in 2020 which is given to the top head coach in the league. This is most likely a case of the best players on the Bruins (Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, etc.) getting tired of hearing Cassidy constantly being critical of them for six years. He is brutally honest with the media which makes you believe that Bruce is likely even more blunt with his players if that's possible. Still, it's hard to argue with his results that included a Presidents' Trophy in 2020 (for the best record in the NHL) and an epic choke job in Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals vs. St. Louis. 

    Cassidy is only 57 years old meaning that he will likely be unemployed for a very brief period of time. Still, he has young kids and a family so uprooting them cannot be a fun thing to think about. If he wants to take a break from the daily grind of coaching, he would be a welcome addition to ESPN, TNT or the NHL Network's TV coverage. In 399 regular season games with Boston, Cassidy was 245-108-46 with a respectable 36-37 record in the postseason. In his four full seasons here (excluding when he took over mid-season in 2017 and the Covid shortened 2020-21 campaign), his teams all earned 100+ points even when there were only 70 games (damn you pandemic!) in 2019-20. 

    All eyes will be on Sweeney and Neely to see who they choose to succeed Cassidy. It'll be tough to top him and you'll remember that Cassidy quickly made people forget about Claude Julien who nevertheless won the last Cup for the Bruins back in 2011. Will Boston go with an experienced and veteran head coach like Barry Trotz or Peter DeBoer or do they go off the board with an assistant coach, minor league or college head coach that nobody has heard of before? Who knows but with so many injured players heading into the 2022-23 regular season including Marchand, McAvoy and Bergeron (if he decides to come back), this gives us even more reason to not pay much attention to the B's in the near future. 

Marchand Scored Twice & The Bruins Opened The 2021-22 Season With A 3-1 Win Against The Stars

 

    It was not the most thrilling of season openers but it is tough to argue with the final result as the Bruins beat the Stars (1-1) 3-1 this evening at the TD Garden. Left wing Brad Marchand opened the scoring on a penalty shot and he fittingly wrapped it up with an empty-netter. Between those tallies, Dallas center Luke Glendening and B's left wing Jake DeBrusk traded goals. Boston improved to 4-1 in season openers under head coach Bruce Cassidy and they hardly looked rusty as you might expect since their last preseason game was on October 6. Bruins rookie goaltender Jeremy Swayman made 27 saves as he begins his first full season in Boston as the No. 1 starter and Boston's penalty kill went a perfect 6-for-6. Stars goaltender Braden Holtby (37 saves) apparently lost many of his super powers vs. the Bruins once he left Washington a few years ago because now he is just another good but not great goalie. 

    Marchand used his sneaky speed to gain a step on the Dallas defense and he got hooked then pushed down by Stars defenseman Ryan Suter to earn the penalty shot at 17:38 of the first period. The last time that Boston's first goal of the year came on a penalty shot was in 2013 when now assistant coach Chris Kelly got it done. Oddly enough for the team who had played a game already this season-a 3-2 win at the Rangers on Wednesday-the Stars came out slow except when left wing Roope Hintz's shot hit the post but thankfully stayed out of the net. Still, Boston leading 1-0 after the first period felt like it should have been more since they outshot Dallas by a huge margin (17-5).

    The Stars came alive in the second period and tied it at one at 9:15 as center Luke Glendening snapped a low shot by Swayman. His first goal of the season was assisted by center Tanner Kero. It was tied at one after two periods but the B's did not take too long in the third period to regain the lead. New center Erik Haula looked like he had the puck bounce off his stick but left wing Jake DeBrusk was right there in front of Holtby to quickly knock it in for the go-ahead goal at 4:43. The other newest Bruin on that line-right wing Nick Foligno-notched the secondary helper. Boston clinched the two points at 18:23 as right wing David Pastrnak found Marchand racing to the net where he was able to flip the puck into the empty cage before Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen awkwardly knocked him over. Haha NESN's Jack Edwards was screaming about it being a slew foot until the replay made him (somewhat) eat his crazy words. 

    Boston's practice that was scheduled for tomorrow was cancelled, giving them more time to get ready for Patriots (2-3) vs. Cowboys (4-1) tomorrow afternoon (4:25, CBS). At Warrior Ice Arena on Monday morning, the Bruins will start preparations for a short two-game road trip with stops in Philadelphia (0-0-1) on Wednesday (7:30, TNT) and then in Buffalo (2-0) on Friday (7,  NESN). Those are two clubs that they have owned for years so we'll see if that continues in their first meetings of this season. I figure that Swayman will face the Flyers and perhaps backup goaltender Linus Ullmark will take on his old team-the Sabres-and make his B's debut in the third game of the season. It certainly does not feel like hockey season yet with the warm temperatures outside plus all the other local teams in action but I'm sure once the weather gets worse, it will be time to focus on the Black and Gold a little more closely. 

The Bruins Inked Forward Trent Frederic To A Two-Year Extension With A $1.05 Million Cap Hit

 

    It was a very under-the-radar signing that was sadly buried on a summer Friday afternoon but yesterday, the Bruins signed one of their few promising young forwards to a two-year contract extension. 23-year-old Trent Frederic's new deal will cost the team an annual cap hit of just $1.05 million dollars. That is a relative bargain for a guy that is a former first-round draft pick (29th overall in 2016) who made an immediate impact in his first full NHL season (2021) before tailing off near the end of the regular season and being a healthy scratch for all 11 playoff games against the Capitals and Islanders. While it's hard to explain how he didn't appear in a single postseason contest against two big and tough teams like Washington and New York, I am sure that Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy sat Frederic for a specific reason(s). 

In 42 games last season with the black and gold, Frederic had four goals and an assist along with 65 penalty minutes. As you can guess from those modest offensive numbers, he probably will never be on Boston's top line but nevertheless, he can definitely play a key role as many of the Bruins older veteran forwards eventually start to phase out from the club. Freddy isn't afraid of anyone in the NHL: the picture above shows him chirping with Devils defenseman P.K. Subban while he also famously went after Caps superstar Alex Ovechkin. The key for Frederic like many other young players in the league that play with a physical edge is to not cross the line too often. He had a tendency to take some dumb penalties when other teams started to take notice of him and go after the University of Wisconsin product both physically and verbally. 

    The NHL is not nearly as physical as it once was and likewise, the Bruins who were always known for their toughness these days have very few guys that you would consider legitimate tough guys. Trent could be different and a bit of a throwback (that B's fans already have started to fall in love with) because he has the stick skills of a first-round draft pick but the grinding style of a third or fourth-line forward that's a fringe player in the league. I'm certainly not anointing him the next Cam Neely or anything but there is no reason why his ceiling couldn't be something like a Milan Lucic: a big (6-foot-2, 230 pounds), left shot forward that is not afraid to drop the gloves or go to the net to knock in loose pucks. He seems very likable and a good teammate so with some more seasoning at the highest level, hopefully he continues to take the next steps to embrace a much bigger role on the Bruins. 

Marchand Scores In OT As The Bruins Beat The Islanders 2-1 In Game 3 To Take A 2-1 Series Lead

 

       The Bruins regained their home ice advantage as they won Game 3 tonight 2-1 at the Nassau Coliseum thanks to left wing Brad Marchand's no angle snipe 3:36 into overtime. Boston now leads the series 2-1 and they improved to 3-2 in OT this postseason (1-1 vs. NY). As you can guess from such a low-scoring affair, both goaltenders were fantastic: Isles goalie Semyon Varlamov made 39 saves before he made his only real mistake of the night while B's goalie Tuukka Rask (28 saves) wasn't quite as busy but he still had a bunch of huge stops. The only real lowlight of Game 3 for Boston was that defenseman Brandon Carlo took a huge hit to his head from Islanders hack Cal Clutterbuck in the third period and he never returned. For a guy with a history of concussions, it was horrifying to see him clearly struggling to get off the ice after his head slammed into the glass.

    After missing Game 2 with a lower-body injury, right wing Craig Smith was back in the lineup for the B's and that paid immediate dividends. He took a sweet pass from left wing Taylor Hall and snapped a high shot over Varlamov's glove hand at 5:52 of the first period. BU's Matt Grzelcyk had the second assist on Smith's second goal of the postseason. Just when it looked like the black and gold might escape with a 1-0 road win, Islanders center Mathew Barzal used a quick wraparound move to tie it at one. Right wing Kyle Palmieri and defenseman Ryan Pulock had the assists on Barzal's first goal of the playoffs at 14:34 in the third period. From that point on, New York dominated and it continued into the extra session as they outshot Boston 5-2 in that. No matter though as it only takes one shot to end it and credit to Marchand for taking that chance. Long Island's own Charlie McAvoy and captain Patrice Bergeron assisted on Marchand's fifth goal of the postseason overall and his second overtime tally (joining Game 2 vs. Washington).

    The B's have an optional practice on Friday and then these teams will meet again on Saturday night (7:15, NBC) where the stakes will be pretty high: Boston can take a 3-1 series lead or New York will tie it up at two games apiece. In his postgame press conference this evening, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy noted how Carlo said that he was feeling "pretty good" while he caught up with his teammates in the locker room. With that said, I'd be really surprised if he is cleared to play in Game 4. If Carlo is out, defensemen Jakub Zboril or Jarred Tinordi seem like the most logical replacement for him although they are both left-handed shots meaning that somebody would have to play on their weak side for a whole entire game which is never preferred. It's also a little quicker turnaround after they had an extra day off between Games 2 and 3, so we'll have to see who recovers best from another intense and physical matchup. 

In The Awkward Timing Department: B's Head Coach Bruce Cassidy Won The Jack Adams Award

 

    Sometimes the way that life works, you just have to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Case in point: tonight while he probably was getting ready at his house to watch Game 2 of Lightning-Islanders in the Eastern Conference Finals, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy found out that he had won his first Jack Adams Award. That honor is "given annually to the coach who has contributed the most to his team's success" as voted on by the National Hockey League broadcasters association. So on one hand, Cassidy was out of the Toronto bubble and with his family therefore they could all enjoy the biggest achievement of his coaching career. Truthfully, I'm sure that he would give it all up in a heartbeat just to have his team still competing in the 2020 NHL playoffs after Tampa Bay knocked them out of the Eastern Conference semifinals in five games. 

    This was the second time in just three years (he finished 2nd in 2018) as an NHL head coach that Cassidy was nominated for the biggest award in his profession. He beat out Philadelphia's head coach Alain Vigneault and Columbus' head coach John Tortorella so he has that going for him. Surprisingly with all of Boston's history, Cassidy became only the fourth Bruins head coach to ever win the Jack Adams Award, joining Don Cherry (1976), Pat Burns (1998) and his predecessor-Claude Julien (2009). You had a feeling that this was his time to win it since Boston had a spectacular regular season (44-14-12) to capture the dreaded Presidents' Trophy (most points in the regular season). When the Coronavirus pandemic halted play in mid-March, the Bruins led the league in wins, regulation wins (38) and goals allowed per game (2.39).

    I will never claim that head coaches make a huge difference in the NHL but just from being around Cassidy since Day 1 in Boston, you can clearly see that he's been exactly what the B's needed after Julien got tuned out for his last few seasons here. They've posted 100+ points in each of his campaigns in charge which is nothing to scoff at. Now, he needs a Stanley Cup-the toughest championship to win in American pro sports-to round out his personal trophy case. With Tampa Bay up 2-0 on New York in their series, it feels like the Lightning are going to win the Cup this fall (that sounds so weird to say) although don't count out the Golden Knights if they beat the Stars in the Western Conference Finals. There is no doubt that Boston left one on the table last season by choking in Game 7 at the Garden vs. St. Louis. Regardless of what happens the next few years, Bruins GM Don Sweeney can rest easy knowing that he has the right guy behind the bench as they transition from one era of veterans into the future.   

      

    

In the Biggest Layup During the Pandemic, the B's Signed Jaroslav Halak to a 1-Year Extension

You'll have to excuse the delay on this post since the Bruins decided to randomly drop this sneaky important news last night (what nerve on a Friday during the pandemic!) and I was too busy binge-watching "Waco" on Netflix to notice until it was way past my bedtime. Your bet is as good as mine if the NHL will be able to continue the 2019-20 regular season and postseason or if it will eventually be scrapped because of the Coronavirus. Nevertheless, Boston's GM Don Sweeney took care of some summer free agency housekeeping a few months early by signing "backup" goaltender Jaroslav Halak to a one-year contract extension worth $2.25 million.

Even before this nightmare that's lasted over 50 days now began, I was never someone that got hung up on the salaries of pro athletes. After all, you or I aren't footing the bill so who cares? They have also worked most of their lives to reach the highest level of their chosen sport so good for them. The unemployment rate is through the roof these days in the United States so it sounds silly to call $2.25 million a bargain but the truth is that for a goaltender the caliber of Halak it is a steal. Even if you aren't a B's fan, it would be tough to argue that their goaltender tandem of Tuukka Rask (26-8-6, 2.12 goals against average, .929 save percentage and 5 shutouts this season) and Halak (18-6-6, 2.39 goals against average, .919 save percentage and 3 shutouts this season) isn't one of the best in the entire league if not the top one.

Rask was the favorite for the Vezina Trophy during this incredible campaign and as we saw last season, finally having a quality goalie beside him like Halak was one of the main reasons that Boston was able to reach the Stanley Cup Final vs. St. Louis. As Claude Julien never seemed to figure out during his long tenure behind the Bruins' bench, Rask is not physically or mentally built for the grind of 65+ starts every season (who is?) and he would inevitably fall apart every season right before or during the playoffs. What great timing! Sweeney finally realized this and did his part by signing Halak back on July 1, 2018 as free agency opened. At 34 years old, Halak is actually a year older than Rask and he's been around the league forever (drafted in 2003 by Montreal and debuting with the Canadiens in the 2006-07 season).

Since this is Halak's fifth NHL club (Habs, Blues, Capitals, Islanders and Bruins), you want to label him a journeyman but that's not really the case. His career win-loss record is more than 100 games over .500 (272-167-58) and he even made the 2015 NHL All-Star Game with the Isles. Not bad for a ninth-round pick from Czechoslovakia. He also keeps himself in phenomenal shape which enables him to play nearly a 50/50 time share with Rask (37 starts last season and 29 this season). While Rask ended up playing every game in the playoffs in Boston's run to the Final last season, don't think that having a dependable veteran like Halak with him wasn't also an underrated significant factor. For once in his Bruins career as the No. 1 goaltender, Rask has a teammate that is nearly his equal therefore he doesn't have to shoulder such an unrealistic workload.

This extension is also insurance in case Rask gets hurt or his play dips (which happens to every goalie from time to time). Like pitching in baseball, you can never have enough good goaltending on your team and while Boston has some decent prospects coming up (most notably University of Maine's Jeremy Swayman who they recently signed to a pro deal), it's best to go with the known commodity at the moment. Any way that you look at it, Halak is probably the best backup goaltender in the NHL and that is something that is priceless for a Cup contender like the Black and Gold. Now let's please find a feasible way for the Bruins to get back on the ice in the near future since they had a really good chance to go far once again in the playoffs.

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Bruins Do Enough to Beat the Weary Maple Leafs, 4-2 In the Second Part of a Home-and-Home Set

In any sport, particularly ones with grueling travel schedules like the NHL there is a common phrase of "schedule loss" that refers to any time a confluence of factors can understandably trip you up. Tonight was just such an occasion for the Maple Leafs (5-4-2) against the Bruins (6-1-2) at TD Garden. Toronto was playing in the second part of a back-to-back as well (losing 4-3 in OT to Columbus on Monday at Scotiabank Arena) as its third game in four nights so Boston's 4-2 victory seemed like a forgone conclusion before the opening faceoff had even occurred.

I'll give the Leafs credit though, they made this way more competitive than you would expect it to be especially considering that backup goaltender Michael Hutchinson (35 saves; 0-2-1) got the rare start for them. Even though they lost 4-3 in overtime at Toronto on Saturday night and have needed seven games the past two springs to squeak by them in the first round of the playoffs, I am still confident in stating that the Bruins are simply a better all-around team than the top-heavy Maple Leafs. Two guys outside the first line scored for Boston in the first meeting and they matched that this evening with Brett Ritchie and Par Lindholm of all people scoring the game-winner and insurance marker in the third period.

It was a night of milestones for the Black and Gold: goaltender Tuukka Rask's (28 saves; 5-0-1) 500th NHL game, Bruce Cassidy's 200th game as Bruins head coach and David Pastrnak reached 300 NHL points. The first two numbers were very notable in their own right but Pastrnak is currently the hottest goal-scorer in the league so he deserves the most attention at the moment. He did not disappoint the home crowd with another highlight reel goal along with an assist. In the meantime, he became the fourth Bruin to reach 300 points in fewer than 350 games played, joining Barry Pederson, Bobby Orr and Ray Bourque. Ever hear of them? The NHL's reigning First Star of the Week got his First Star of the Month campaign going by extending his point streak to seven games (10 goals, 7 assists) while also scoring a goal in four straight games (8 total goals) which ties his career-best goal streak.

Pasta actually had an earlier first period goal overturned after the play leading up to it was deemed to feature a naughty Bruins player in an offside position. No worries, that just gave him a few more minutes to think of a more creative goal as he took a pass from Brad Marchand (career-best 7 game assist streak), spun towards the net and flicked a shot with his stick between his legs. Hutchinson got a piece of the puck but it still slipped over the goal line at 17:15. Pastrnak's NHL-best 10th goal of the season was also assisted by Torey Krug (5 assists in his last 4 games) and it came on a power play.

As the contest went along, you figured that Toronto would start to lose their skating legs but it took until the third period for their fatigue to fully set in. They trailed 1-0 after the first period but the Leafs tied it at 4:23 of the second period as Kasperi Kapanen unleashed a rocket of a one-timer from Harvard's Alexander Kerfoot. Rask had no chance to stop it as Justin Holl had the secondary assist on the young Finn's third goal of the season. The teams continued to trade goals as Boston took a 2-1 lead 1:26 after that with Pastrnak switching roles with Marchand and becoming the feeder. David showed his underrated vision to quickly turn his body and hit Brad on the tape of his stick with a pass that Marchand quickly deposited top shelf via a wrist shot. Charlie McAvoy had the other helper on Marchand's fifth goal of the season. Brad's point streak has reached eight games with five goals and nine assists in that span.

Kerfoot struck again with his second goal in as many games against the Bruins to make it 2-2 at 12:54 of the second period. Another blown coverage allowed him to skate right down the middle on the power play and tee up a one-timer from Kapanen. William Nylander provided the second assist on Kerfoot's fourth goal of the season. After going to a shootout against Tampa Bay (4-3-1) last Thursday and overtime with Toronto on Saturday, Boston had no interest in playing beyond the allotted 60 minutes.

Ritchie scored in the season-opener against his former team-at Dallas (3-7-1)-on October 3 and hadn't been heard from much since then. David Krejci is on IR with an upper-body injury and Karson Kuhlman broke his leg blocking a shot on Saturday so he's expected to miss at least a month of action. This elevated Ritchie to the second line tonight. He had an assist against the Leafs on Saturday and he topped that with the goal that put the B's ahead for good, 3-2 at 6:35 of the third period. Jake DeBrusk's shot bounced off a Leafs defenseman and Ritchie was able to knock in the loose puck for his first goal at the Garden as a Bruin.

Sean Kuraly took a high-sticking penalty with under five minutes left in regulation that could have spelled doom with the Bruins nursing a slim 3-2 advantage. Luckily for his sake, Boston killed off the infraction and he made everyone forget about his mistake by jumping out of the penalty box into a 2-on-1 with Lindholm. Hutchinson stopped Kuraly's initial shot but the Swede followed it up with a backhander on the rebound for his first goal/point as a Bruin at 17:57. The Bruins had a few cracks at an empty-netter (which would have made those that took the over at 6.5 goals very happy) in the closing minutes but they couldn't help the degenerates cash those tickets.

With practice scheduled for Wednesday-Friday, the B's will have plenty of time to focus on their next opponent-the Blues (4-2-3)-who come here on Saturday night (7, NBCSN) for their first meeting with Boston since Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in June. Clearly a matchup in late October is nothing compared to the highest stakes in June but with that said, it promises to be a memorable event for the Bruins who are trying to turn the page on that unforgettable loss. The weekend is jam-picked for the Bruins since they go to New York on Sunday night (7, NESN) to play the lowly Rangers (2-4-1) who lost their fifth game in a row tonight. Couple that with the fact that Patriots (7-0)-Browns (2-4) kicks off at 4:25 on Sunday afternoon and you can understand that way fewer eyeballs around New England will be fixed on that Original Six tilt.

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"The Gang's All Here, Now Let's Get to Work On Winning a Stanley Cup,"-The 2019-20 Bruins

Well that was fast. Bruins GM Don Sweeney probably hasn't slept for over a week now but it's tough to argue with his recent results as he's signed head coach Bruce Cassidy to a three-year extension, potential franchise cornerstone defenseman Charlie McAvoy to a three-year deal and he rounded it all off this morning with a two-year contract for another young defenseman-Brandon Carlo. Perhaps showing you how little I know about negotiations, I guessed in my blog about McAvoy's agreement ($4.9 million annual cap hit) that Carlo would get somewhere in the range of $3 million per year. Haha incorrect (cue the obnoxious buzzer sound) as Sweeney got him to sign for an annual NHL cap hit of only $2.85 million.

As outlined before, Carlo will likely never make as much as a player like McAvoy since his offensive skills are shall we say limited at best. Still, he's an excellent stay-at-home, big body (6-foot-5, 212 pounds) right-shot defenseman. In his favor, he's also been more durable thus far than McAvoy as evidenced by the games played in his first three regular seasons: 82, 76 and 72. Does it bother me that those numbers have gone down the last two seasons? Not really, especially when you consider the buzzard's luck he had his first two years by getting hurt in the last game of back-to-back regular season finales.

Brandon finally got a huge taste of playoff hockey last spring and summer and it can only be termed a resounding success. Making up for lost time, he played in all 24 games for Boston in the postseason and registered two goals, two assists and a plus/minus rating of plus-10 (2nd best on the team) while he averaged 21:31 time on ice (3rd best). In the regular season, he had two goals and eight assists with a plus-22 rating (tied for 2nd) with an average time on ice of 20:55 (4th on team). Since his NHL debut, he ranks fourth on the B's in terms of both plus/minus (plus-41) and time on ice per game (20:20).

He is a dependable workhouse and although, he'll rarely give you the moments of offense brilliance like McAvoy, you know what to expect from Carlo. He's quiet but clearly a leader that the many younger players on the club look up to and that the older guys respect as well. I'm sure Sweeney is hoping that like McAvoy, he'll make this contract seem like a bargain when it is up in a few years and by that time, he'll be eligible for much more money and years along with a leadership position on the team (captain, assistant captain, etc).

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Charlie McAvoy Cares Not For Holdouts As He Signs a Three-Year Deal With the Bruins

A few days after inking head coach Bruce Cassidy to a contract extension, Bruins GM Don Sweeney continued to get things done as this morning he signed defenseman Charlie McAvoy to a three-year deal with an average annual value of $4.9 million per year which is quite reasonable. There were never any whispers of a holdout by McAvoy so in many ways, this moment was a mere formality but it still represents an important day for the Black and Gold.

Coming into his third NHL regular season, McAvoy is still only 21-years-old (he turns 22 on Dec. 21) but the 2016 first-round pick for Boston (14th overall) is without question one of the most talented young defensemen in the league. In 117 career regular season games, he has put up a more than respectable 14 goals and 46 assists with a plus/minus rating of plus-34. In that span, he has nine power-play points (3 goals, 6 assists), five game-winning goals and two overtime goals. In the playoffs where scoring is understandably harder to come by, his offensive numbers are down but still solid: three goals and 13 assists with a plus-four in 41 games.

In his brief professional career, really the only thing to quibble over with McAvoy is his durability. He played in 63 regular season games his rookie season and an even more concerning 54 last year. Granted, the only game he missed in Boston's run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final was a one-game suspension. McAvoy isn't huge by today's standards (6-feet-tall, 208 pounds) but he plays a pretty physical style so it's tough to pinpoint why he's already missed so much time. It hasn't been any major injuries with him but rather numerous minor issues including a bizarre illness at the beginning of last season.

The B's should again be a contender in the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference so honestly, I don't expect nor do I want McAvoy to play 82 games in the regular season. As long as he plays more than he did in the first two campaigns and is healthy come playoff-time, who cares? On the eve of their preseason opener tomorrow night in New Jersey, the only player left unsigned for Sweeney is defenseman Brandon Carlo. He is a year older McAvoy both in terms of age (22) and years played already in the NHL (3). He also plays a far less sexy game meaning that he is a prototypical defensive defenseman that will never put up any real offensive statistics of note. Still, he is very good at what he does and could be a top-pairing defenseman if Bruins captain Zdeno Chara ever retires. Keep in mind though that Cassidy and many NHL head coaches love to play left shot and right shot defensemen together when possible.

Carlo is super low-maintenance and he has been a professional from Day 1 when he was a second-round pick (37th overall) of the Bruins in 2015. Despite being away from his teammates this summer and in the early going of training camp, Cassidy has expressed confidence that Carlo is in great shape and ready to hit the ice whenever he officially returns to the team. I have no inside information on this (I wish I did) but expect him to get a new deal this week for roughly the same amount of years and less money ($3 million and change per year?) than Charlie. These are two of Boston's best building blocks from the defensive end for now and hopefully years to come.

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Fear Not Bruins Fans, Bruce Cassidy aka Cool Dad Is Here to Stay (For Awhile Longer At Least)

Odds are that you understandably still haven't gotten over the Bruins' wretched choke job in Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals vs. St. Louis that occurred just over three months ago. Making it that far means that Boston had a shorter off-season than usual so don't look now but the 2019-20 NHL regular season is only a few weeks away. Furthermore, with training camp opening tomorrow for the veterans on the B's, they did some housekeeping this morning by signing head coach Bruce Cassidy to the always vague multi-year contract extension (2 years, 5 years, lifetime, who knows?!).

While it will always be debatable really how much a head coach can affect a given NHL game, the numbers back up Cassidy in terms of putting him on the short list of the best at his position currently in the league. He's been here for roughly 2.5 regular seasons and three postseasons with his team getting better each year: a first-round playoff exit vs. Ottawa in 2017, a second-round loss to Tampa Bay in 2018 and the aforementioned mind-numbing loss to the Blues. In his first two full seasons in charge of the Black and Gold, the club has finished in a more than respectable second-place in the Eastern Conference. Overall, he is 117-52-22 (a .670 winning percentage) in the regular season which is the fourth-best winning percentage in team history.

Right away after he replaced former Bruins head coach Claude Julien on Valentine's Day 2017, Cassidy was a breath of fresh air. Julien was a great coach here for the most part but his act of the all-knowing hockey dictator had gotten old for the players, fans and media. Bruce is refreshingly honest which in pro sports (and especially in the same region as Bill Belichick) becomes more rare to come by each day. He's a youthful 54 years old (5 years younger than Claude), has young kids like many of the players and he appears to be able to relate to them very well. Most importantly, he has brought results as guys clearly enjoy playing for him. Of course, putting a Stanley Cup on his resume would have allowed him to advance to another level. However, this contract gives him job security which is all that anyone ever wants.

Once again, the B's should be in the mix for the top teams in the East and the National Hockey League in general this season. On the player side, the next order of business for Boston is to lock up their two young franchise defensemen-Charlie McAvoy (who is 21) and Brandon Carlo (who is 22)-who are both restricted free agents. The always helpful CapFriendly.com website (formerly CapGeek) projects the Bruins to only have about $7.2 million left in cap space so it'll take some creative maneuvering by GM Don Sweeney to figure out how to pay those players what they are worth while not forcing them to holdout. I would normally worry about it more but Sweeney went to Harvard and I didn't (you probably weren't an Ivy Leaguer either) so let's trust the smart people to figure this all out.

The six-game (why is it that long?) preseason begins next Monday in New Jersey followed by two more road games in Philadelphia and Chicago before three straight home games at TD Garden against the same opponents starting on Monday, September 23. Preseason hockey is no different than any other sport, it's a complete bore so before you fall asleep, let me leave you with this: the Bruins open for real on October 3 in Dallas (8:30, NESN) vs. Tyler Seguin & Co. Boston has a four-game road trip to start this campaign, taking them from Arizona to Vegas to Colorado before the home opener on Saturday, October 12 vs. New Jersey (7, NESN). The Ducks come to town for the annual Columbus Day afternoon game (1, NESN) and the Lightning are here for an early-season showdown on October 17 (7, NESN).

Enjoy the warm weather while it fleetingly lasts but remember that the grind that is an NHL season is right around the corner and that's something to always be excited about, especially with a loaded and likeable group such as this one.

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