BOSTON – In one of the final acts before the Bruins officially got things going in the regular season, Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs said he expected the team back into the playoffs this season and also wanted “a deep playoff run.” It seemed a tad aggressive given that the Black and Gold had missed the playoff cut in each of the last two postseasons, and the Bruins accomplished part of the goal by pushing their way back into the playoffs this season.
Clearly, it wasn’t a deep playoff run given that it was over in six games in the first round at the hands of the Ottawa Senators, but it was still a commendable achievement for a team beset by injuries late in the season that ultimately doomed them.
It was also a team that made a major alteration midstream when they fired longtime head coach Claude Julien and replaced him with Bruce Cassidy, but that move was actually part of what satisfied B’s ownership with this year’s group when it was all said and done.
“I think we had a successful season because of what evolved, the changing of the guard in our coaching ranks, and I think our leadership showed itself very well. I think hope springs eternal and we set off hoping and looking forward to extending the season,” said Jacobs. “As it did evolve, I think the correction was good and I think we did a tremendous job once we had Butch [Bruce Cassidy] in place. So I’m happy with where we are and I’m happy with the next generation of players coming into this organization.
“To see the change in the game [with the introduction of some young players] was Immediate and it was welcomed. It’s very exciting to watch some of the hockey we’re watching today. I haven’t seen anything like the speed that we’re seeing today and it’s great to see the league moving in that direction. It’s very entertaining.”
Jacobs enjoyed youngsters like David Pastrnak, Brandon Carlo and McAvoy energizing the veteran core Bruins group, and others like Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Jake DeBrusk, Zach Senyshyn, Anders Bjork, Jakub Zboril and Jeremy Lauzon should be on their way as well.
Bruins President Cam Neely and GM Don Sweeney find themselves in a much better position following this season than they did a year ago when another season out of the playoffs might have been the end of the line. Instead, this season’s success has bought them some time, and the grand design is for all things Bruins is to keep building with more prospects joining McAvoy and Carlo over the next couple of seasons.
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That should lead to more “successful seasons” in the eyes of ownership, although the “deep playoff run” might be more expectation than wishful thinking when Jacobs speaks on the eve of the next upcoming regular season.