It’s no secret that the Boston Bruins finished their regular season with significant concerns regarding their power play. When the calendar turned to 2024, the Bruins’ power play conversion rate stood at 18.2%. Out of 137 power play opportunities, they managed just 25 goals.
In contrast, they converted 29 out of their initial 106 opportunities during the season, boasting a 27.3% success rate. To stand toe-to-toe against a formidable team like the Toronto Maple Leafs, it was clear that the Bruins needed to emulate their 2023 form rather than the lackluster performance that had become the norm in 2024.
A recurring theme in these power-play goals has been the resurgence of DeBrusk and Marchand, both rediscovering their scoring touch. This has been vital for the Bruins, as they rely heavily on their top players to consistently find the back of the net. For Marchand, the end of the season was challenging. He scored 24 goals in 49 games from the start of the season until the end of January. However, come February, the captain managed just five goals in 33 games. Such a dip in form was uncharacteristic for one of the league’s premier goal-scorers and demanded a change for the Bruins to have any hope of postseason success. DeBrusk similarly struggled, tallying only one goal and two points in the Bruins’ final 11 games of the regular season.
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