The Boston Bruins took Round 1 of what will be a heated season series against the Florida Panthers. Marco Sturm summed up the reason.
Via NHL.com’s George Richards, Sturm said, “It was just another group effort by our guys, starting with our tough guys. They let us play, and the skill took over.’’
This take contains so many details despite its supposed simplicity. For one, it shows that Boston has developed a system for dealing with teams like the Panthers.
If one thing is clear, the Bruins and Panthers aren’t fond of one another. Following Boston’s 4-1 win over Florida that featured two fights, Sturm probably wouldn’t mind if all four matchups this season went that way.
Let the tough, physical guys get their reps in, then turn to the skill players. If Boston can execute that game plan against one of the NHL’s most physical teams like the Panthers, there is hardly a team in the league that their strategy won’t work against.
That said, the Bruins won’t be playing Florida in 80 of their 84 matchups. About half of those remaining 80 games will come against teams that want to knock opponents around. So the Bruins don’t need to go in and fight immediately after a faceoff in every game.
That’s a plan saved for teams like Florida that have championship-level talent. So Boston can execute their physicality-first, skill-second mindset selectively. That mentality can keep them fresh all season long, and keep them among the Eastern Conference’s best teams.
Marco Sturm Credits Bruins’ Physical Players For Setting The Tone
Ironically, on Sunday, the Panthers seemingly outmuscled the Bruins when one looks at raw numbers. Fights, penalty minutes, and post-whistle scuffling aside, the Panthers hit the Bruins 38 times while Boston posted 13 hits.
At that point, Boston didn’t need to land body checks every other minute. It would have added another layer of physicality and given the game an early-season playoff hockey vibe. But after taking a 3-0 lead in the first 16 minutes, the early-game fireworks already set the tone.
It was another reason the Bruins didn’t need to match the Panthers in body checks. In fact, they barely needed to register a fraction of the hits. That final tally in the hits department also drives home that one team’s tough guys did enough to tick off the opponent.
The result? A blowout win.
Boston Prepares For Important Stretch Against Tough Opponents
The Bruins have a slate of championship-caliber opponents coming up. That said, there is a good chance fans will see Boston execute a similar game plan that they used against Florida: hit your opponent first, get into their heads, then play a skillful game of hockey.
The Montreal Canadiens will be the first up on Nov. 12. Montreal is currently second in the Atlantic with 25 points, so expect another memorable matchup.
The Minnesota Wild will be next on Nov. 14, a team that is first in the Central with 28 points. While Minnesota is in the West, that game may also contain some fireworks.
Overall, Florida was just the first opponent in this stretch of tough opponents. Boston passed the test with a simple and effective game plan. They must emulate that this week.
Bruins’ Marco Sturm Makes Telling Admission After Heated Win