Pre-Season Report: Boston Bruins

Taking into consideration how tight the Eastern Conference is going to be, the Boston Bruins will not easily run away with the Northeast Division title, but should come out on top when all is said and done. Buoyed by a better offense, solid goaltending, and healthy seasons from Marc Savard and Milan Lucic, the Bruins will find their confidence once again and challenge the top teams in the East. Tyler Seguin (chosen 2nd overall in the 2010 draft) should crack the lineup this year, and is being heralded as the future of the franchise. He will get the chance to show the Bruins that he is ready for the NHL.

The Forwards

The Bruins biggest problem last season was their inability to create offense, both on the powerplay and at even strength. As a matter of fact, the Bruins finished dead last in the NHL for offense and 23rd overall on the powerplay last season. A major part of this was the fact that they traded their top goal scorer in Phil Kessel and lost both Marc Savard and Milan Lucic to injuries for most of the 09/10 season. Having these two healthy for a full season will go a long way for the Bruins.

Milan Lucic has shown that he has the ability to dominate the opposition physically, but he has also shown glimpses of offensive talent. His ability to drive the net and make room for his teammates is a very important attribute that coach Claude Julien loves to utilize. A healthy Lucic is capable of scoring 20 goals.

One of the Bruins biggest strengths is their depth at centre. They currently have, Marc Savard, Patrice Bergeron, David Krecji, and Tyler Seguin slated as their four centremen for this season. If they stay healthy, and Seguin proves his worth, this group will prove to be difficult to contain. The task for GM Peter Chiarelli now is to provide that group of centremen with talented wingers to work with.

Over the summer, Chiarelli went out a traded defenseman, Dennis Wideman, to the Florida Panthers for winger Nathan Horton. At 25 years of age, Horton is still young enough to reignite the scoring prowess that he lost over the past couple of seasons in Florida. Expected to play on Boston's top line with Lucic and Savard, Horton will have every opportunity score 30-40 goals. Horton should help fill the void left by Kessel.

The Defense

Despite their terrible offensive numbers last season, the Bruins were one of the best teams at keeping the puck out of their own net. In 2009-2010, the Bruins ranked 2nd in the league for the fewest goals against, and had an astounding penalty kill at 86.4% ranking 3rd overall. Tuukka Rask was a large part of this success, but the Bruins also have a solid group of defensemen.

Boston's pillar of strength (Chara) will be back to patrol the blueline and defensive zone, and should have another strong season at age 33. One of the NHL's best defensemen, Chara provides the Bruins with a strong presence on the ice, a booming shot on the powerplay, leadership, and strikes fear into the opposition like no other with his six foot nine and 255 pound frame.

After acquiring Seidenberg at last year's trade deadline, the Bruins decided he earned another contract, signing him to a 4-year, $13 million extension. The 29 year old Seidenberg is a dependable defender, who can contribute offensively and put up big minutes if healthy. Rounding out the defense are, Johnny Boychuk, the solid Andrew Ference, the tough Mark Stuart, and Matt Hunwick. This is a good top-six that can stand up to most of the teams in the east.

The Goalies

At the young age of 23, Tuukka Rask has proven that he is the real deal. A highly touted goaltending prospect for years, Rask may have finally earned the starters role in Boston. With Tim Thomas having a rocky season in 09/10, Rask seized every opportunity that was given to him. With improved offense and solid defense in Boston, there is no reason to believe Rask won't continue to perform at such a high level. After all, he did have the highest save percentage (.931) and goals against average (1.97) in the NHL last season.

However, if Rask should falter, the Bruins do have a very capable Tim Thomas ready to step in. Coming off a Vezina win and new contract following the 2008-2009 season, Thomas was expected to continue where he left off and guide his team to the playoffs. Things didn't work out that way and Thomas was very inconsistent. It wasn't as though Thomas was playing terrible, but more the fact that Rask was playing incredible. Thomas should get the chance to prove himself again this season. He is a very hard worker and extremely determined.

The Scoop
It was a bit of a tough season in Boston last year, but with many important pieces in place, the Bruins are set up to succeed in a very tight Eastern Conference. With their defense and goaltending so strong, it was the mission of GM Peter Chiarelli to go out and find some upgrades for the wing. Nathan Horton is no superstar, but he is a gifted scorer, and should produce skating with any of Savard, Krejci, Bergeron, or Seguin. Simply put, if this club is able to stay healthy, they will be a top seed in the East.

My Prediction: 3rd in the East. The Bruins will regain some confidence, score more goals and will make a jump in the standings.