Six Reasons Why Bruins Have Vaulted Back Into East Playoff Race

Six reasons why Bruins have vaulted back into East playoff race originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins had the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference standings on Dec. 30, which was the product of a six-game losing streak. They were in danger of digging themselves a hole that would be tough to climb out of.

But since then, they have won 10 of their last 13 games (10-2-1 record), and as a result the B’s enter Tuesday in the second wild card playoff spot.

What’s behind the Bruins’ impressive turnaround in January?

Let’s look at some of the key factors.

Charlie McAvoy’s fantastic two-way play

McAvoy had a tough start to the season after suffering a jaw injury in mid-November that kept him sidelined for about a month. He has kicked it into high gear in January with 14 points (three goals, 11 assists). He had just 20 points in the previous three months combined.

But he’s making more of an impact than just scoring. McAvoy defends at a high level, he blocks shots, he dishes out huge hits, he kills penalties. Everything you’d expect from a true No. 1 defenseman.

“He’s been outstanding as of late, for a while now,” Bruins head coach Marco Sturm said after a win over the Vegas Golden Knights last week. “He’s like a horse out there. It’s almost like you want to play him for 60 minutes because he does everything. Blocking shots is part of his game, too. I’m just very happy with the way he’s playing right now, especially in those crucial moments in the game where we need to stay calm and be in the right spot. He’s been there for us all year long.”

McAvoy logs a lot of tough minutes against the opposing team’s top forwards, and yet the B’s still have a positive goal differential and an edge in scoring chances during his even-strength minutes this month.

Whether it’s 5-on-5, the power play or the penalty kill, McAvoy is making a positive impact all over the ice, and that’s what you expect from a player who is top 10 at his position when healthy.

Morgan Geekie is back

After going 12 straight games without scoring a goal from Dec. 21 through Jan. 17, Geekie has tallied six points (four goals, two assists) in the last four matchups.

Geekie scored twice against the Canadiens on Saturday night, including the game-winning tally with 5:53 left in the third period.

Geekie was shooting 28.2 percent right before that 12-game goalless drought began. He wasn’t going to shoot that high forever — some kind of regression was coming. But Geekie’s success is no fluke. He’s a tremendous goal scorer with an excellent shot and a high hockey IQ without the puck.

And if the Bruins are going to remain in the playoff race past the Winter Olympics, they’ll need Geekie to be a consistent goal scorer at even strength and the power play.

Power play is much improved

One of the primary reasons why the Bruins finished with the fifth-worst record in the league last season was their horrendous power play that ranked 29th with a 15.2 percent success rate.

The power play has been much improved this season, and one man who has been influential in that turnaround is assistant coach Steve Spott. He was brought in after Marco Sturm was hired as head coach, and one of his main responsibilities was fixing the power play.

It’s hard to argue with the results.

The puck movement is crisper. There’s more traffic in front of the net and the zone entries are cleaner.

The Bruins have the third-best power play right now at 27.5 percent. The only teams ahead of them are the Edmonton Oilers (31.8) and Dallas Stars (29.1) — two squads with loads more elite offensive talent than Boston.

The Bruins scored three times on the power play versus the Canadiens on Saturday, and in January they’re scoring on a league-best 37.5 percent of their opportunities with the man advantage.

Joonas Korpisalo’s turnaround

Korpisalo’s inability to give the Bruins quality outings as the backup goalie for much of the season was a huge burden on the team’s playoff chances. He posted a sub-.900 save percentage in October, November and December.

But to his credit, Korpisalo has been awesome in January with a 4-0-1 record, a .931 save percentage and a 1.89 GAA in six appearances (five starts).

If Korpisalo can be more consistent and allow Jeremy Swayman to get some much-needed rest in the second half of the season, that would be a huge boost for the Bruins.

Fraser Minten making Maple Leafs look foolish

The Toronto Maple Leafs included Fraser Minten as part of the Brandon Carlo trade with the Bruins last season, and it’s a decision they probably regret.

Minten has been a key player for Boston with a career-high 25 points (13 goals, 12 assists) in 53 games. His 13 goals would be the fifth-most on the Leafs roster and one more than 23-year-old forward Matthew Knies, who has a $7.75 million salary cap hit.

Minten has really started to hit his stride in January with 10 points — including a team-leading seven goals — in 12 games this month.

The Bruins have a plus-10 goal differential and a plus-22 edge in scoring chances during Minten’s 5-on-5 ice time this season. His two-way skill set, including an ability to kill penalties (third-most shorthanded ice time per game among B’s forwards), has given the Bruins much-needed depth.

David Pastrnak quietly having another elite season

Pastrnak has been a force all season, especially in January. He has tallied 23 points (four goals, 19 assists) in 12 games this month. For the full season, he leads the team with 67 points (21 goals, 46 assists) in 48 games. No one else on the roster has more than 48 points. The veteran right wing currently is on pace for 101 points, which would get him past the century mark for four consecutive seasons.

Pastrnak is one of the league’s most talented goal scorers, but he’s also a superb passer. His playmaking skills have been on full display this season, evidenced by his 2.87 assists per 60 minutes, which would easily be a new career high. Pastrnak set up a Geekie goal on Saturday with a brilliant assist.

Pastrnak won’t be in the Hart Trophy mix this season, but he’s still easily the most indispensable player on the Bruins roster.