After rebounding from a bad performance in a 4-1 defeat to Calgary on Tuesday, the Bruins thrashed Western Conference-leading Vancouver on Thursday to reclaim a share of the NHL’s top record two games after the All-Star break.
Are the power-rankers impressed? The Bruins are at or near the top of every national outlet’s power rankings.
To prevent power ranking lists from getting monotonous, the various publications typically add a different side angle for each squad.
Here’s where the Bruins landed on the rankings and what the various websites said about them:
The Athletic Rank: 1.
The Athletic identified a player from each squad who should improve on their previous performance. This is what they wrote:
“James van Riemsdyk is on a 58-point pace, so it may come as a surprise that he is our first choice. Is it realistic to anticipate him to perform even better in the second half? Perhaps not “better” per se, but we anticipate him to put more pucks in the net. At five-on-five, he has 21 points, but only three of them are goals, which is far from his predicted eight.
When he’s on the ice, the Bruins create a lot of opportunities, and he gets his fair share of them. We’re just anticipating more to come in for him. Either way, he’s been a fantastic story for the Bruins.”
ESPN Rank: 2.
Despite Thursday’s win, the Bruins remained second in the ESPN standings, trailing the Canucks. ESPN opted to highlight one fantasy standout from each of the teams listed. The pick of Boston was unsurprising.
“David Pastrnak, right wing (3.31 FPPG since January 1): Is there any surprise here? Put your hand down; we all know Pasta is the best — fantasy or not — that the Bruins have to offer. And it’s not that close, especially because the goaltenders are splitting time.”
NHL.com Rank: 2
The NHL.com rankings were released before the Bruins defeated the Canucks at TD Garden on Thursday, so Boston fell to second place following Tuesday’s loss to the Flames.
This week’s power rankings highlighted what each team needs by the deadline. Amalie Benjamin writes:
“Unlike many NHL teams, the Bruins have probably the most crucial position: keeper. Their defence is also very strong, especially as they get healthy. They might use some help on offence. I recently spoke with someone from the opposition front office, who described their squad as having three second lines and a fourth line. I cannot claim he was incorrect. So, with a little boost — preferably in the centre position, but a wing would also assist — they may be in position to win the Stanley Cup that escaped them last season.”
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