The Bruins are not dwelling on last year’s defeat in the Stanley Cup Final, nor are they putting much stock into Saturday night — in their first meeting with the Blues since that fateful night on June 12.
Boston has attempted to both compartmentalize and dull the raw emotion felt from that Game 7 result, but Bruce Cassidy’s club also cannot put up the blinders when talk shifts back to the 2018-19 Blues.
It’s a new year and a new season, but later tonight, much of the same St. Louis roster that punished the B’s over a grueling playoff series will be back at TD Garden for a rematch. As such, the Bruins have had to revisit last year’s showdown in search of an edge for this regular-season bout.
“Nothing should surprise us,” Cassidy said of scouting the Blues. “Every team makes some adjustments, so we’re watching a bit of what they’re doing right now. Doesn’t look a whole lot different. Why would it be, right?”
Not to twist the knife when looking back at the Cup Final, but it's rather evident how much 5v5 scoring — or lack thereof — turned the tables in favor of the Blues last spring. Boston tallied just 10 5v5 goals during the series, with its top trio of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak combining for just one goal and two total points over the seven-game slate.
(For reference, Sean Kuraly led all Bruins in 5v5 scoring against the Blues with two goals and three assists).
The primary reasoning for those 5v5 woes?
Boston labored when it came to getting inside and generating Grade-A shots against Jordan Binnington, as seen in the 5v5 goals shot map below. As you can see, there's a lot of clear space directly in front of the Blues' netminder in the crease.
Now, getting down low and putting oneself in position to attempt quality shot attempts is a task that's much easier said than done, especially when you have defensemen like Alex Pietrangelo and Colton Parayko patrolling those areas of the ice.
But for a Bruins club that ranks 24th in the league this season in 5v5 high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes (8.5), Saturday night would stand as the ideal matchup for a breakout showing. After all, Binnington has been rather vulnerable down low, posting a save percentage of .791 on 5v5 high-danger shots this season — 22nd among goalies that have logged at least 200 minutes of ice time.
As such, look for Boston to prescribe a heavy dose of Sean Kuraly and Charlie Coyle's lines on Saturday, as the B's look to generate chances by way of a suffocating forecheck and extended O-zone time.
(A look below at Binnington's shot map this season. Plenty of wristers from in tight have led to goals on the scoreboard, as one would expect. Boston needs to fight for shots in that area of the ice.)
Even without David Krejci for the fourth straight game, a makeshift second line of Coyle, Jake DeBrusk and Brett Ritchie are coming off of an encouraging outing on Tuesday against the Maple Leafs — with the trio combining for five 5v5 individual scoring chances in the win, including three high-danger looks.
While Coyle may not have the O-zone awareness of a playmaking pivot like Krejci, DeBrusk noted that Coyle's ability to fight off skaters and hold onto the puck can lead to a slew of high-danger scoring bids on just about every shift.
“I think they’re different players, just because I think Krech is a different player all by himself. But Coyle is really strong on the puck," DeBrusk said. "I think that’s the biggest thing. It’s not too hard to notice out there when he pulls that one arm out and stiff arms guys in the corner, he can make plays. He’s fast, he’s more of a straight-line guy as well. He’s really easy to read off of and it’s obviously nice to have a guy like that down low when teams play really tight and kind of go back into the slot. To have a guy like that with some speed and obviously his hands, I’m lucky to play with him."
Cassidy might know what he has in both his first and fourth lines, but a trio of Par Lindholm, Anders Bjork and Danton Heinen stands as a bit of a wild card for Saturday's outing. Even if that hodgepodge combination is a bit of an unknown, Cassidy believes Bjork's wheels can be utilized on a forecheck that could capitalize against whatever bottom-six grouping that Craig Berube throws out to counter them.
"Well, his speed, right? He’s on pucks," Cassidy said of how Bjork could compliment that line. "He’ll be the fastest guy on the line. So hopefully he’s affecting with a good forecheck, creating some turnovers. I think Danton is a good F2, I do. He’s not as fast as Bjork, but he’s good at reading the play, where it’s gonna go.
"So he can benefit, they work together well there. Lindy, he’s a cerebral player, so he’ll read off those two. Hopefully they get some chances to finish. They can both make plays. He had a few good looks the other night, Bjorkie. He hit the bar or post on a nice rush. Secondary scoring - first on pucks. Hopefully a little puck possession in the O-zone, using his foot speed. That’s what he should bring, if he plays like he did the other night.”
Boston might not be looking at this contest as much of a statement game, nor are they interested in exacting revenge for a title that slipped through its grasp. At least, they're not admitting it.
But Cassidy was candid, albeit brief, when asked Saturday if he left last postseason thinking there was real heat between the Bruins and Blues.
"Yeah — yeah, I did," he said.
Some of that snarl could come in handy if Boston plans on fighting its way to the dangerous areas of the ice on Saturday night.
Stats and graphs via Natural Stat Trick, Corsica, and Sean Tierney.