In the Season 2 premiere of the Bruins Benders Podcast, Matty and Smitty had some old predictions for the Bruins this season. There is some cautious optimism surrounding the team for the upcoming season, and the co-hosts joined the positivity train.
The Bruins re-signed Patrice Bergeron and brought back center David Krejci on team-friendly one-year deals. Former New Jersey Devils first-round pick Pavel Zacha was acquired for Erik Haula, and defenseman Hampus Lindholm who was obtained from Anaheim last season, will start his first full season in Boston. A new head coach, Jim Montgomery, provides a softer voice that is a sharp contrast to tell-it-like-it-is Bruce Cassidy, who has moved on to Vegas. The Bruins will be without leading scorer Brad Marchand and top defenseman Charlie McAvoy for the first month, but lost signs point to a good season ahead.
The Benders Podcast duo made two bold predictions for the Bruins this season. Picking the Bruins to finish in second or third in the Atlantic Division isn’t exactly bold, as the Bruins finished with 107 points last season and bring back an even better roster on paper. But these two outside-of-the-box predictions are certainly a little ambitious.
Smitty’s bold prediction: The Bruins will have eight 20-goal scorers this season. Having Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak in the lineup should give Jim Montgomery’s club three players with at least 20 goals. Taylor Hall scored 20 last season, and Jake DeBrusk added 25. For this prediction to come true, the Bruins will need David Krejci, Craig Smith, and Pavel Zacha to add 20 each. Whether or not all eight players reach this watermark, the Bruins should have a more potent offense than last season.
Matty’s bold prediction: Pavel Zacha scores 25 goals. Zacha was acquired in the off-season for Erik Haula. The Czech forward had 17 and 15 goals in the last two seasons, respectively, and has not reached 20 goals in his career. However, Zacha could see some time with fellow Czech David Krejci, who has 515 career assists. There has been chemistry in the preseason between the two, and this could be a breakout season for Zacha, who was a first-round pick in 2015. The 6-foot-4 forward will be looked upon to fill in at left wing with Marchand recovering from hip surgery.
The season begins in Washington on October 12 for the Bruins without Marchand and McAvoy, who is recovering from shoulder surgery. If the Bruins can get off to a good start and hide some time until the two stars return, then an Atlantic Divison title and possible Stanley Cup playoff run are not out of the realm of possibility. Suppose these two bold predictions become a reality. In that case, the Bruins might have all the pieces together to compete for their first Stanley Cup in twelve seasons, which would be an even bolder prediction and a surprise to even the most optimistic Bruins fan.
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