The Boston Bruins face the Columbus Blue Jackets with both teams heading in opposite directions to start the season. The Bruins have a 6-1 record and are near the top of the Atlantic Division while the Blue Jackets have a 3-5 record and are in last place in the Metropolitan Division. The Bruins are looking to continue their strong start to the season while the Blue Jackets are looking to turn things around, making the upcoming game a crucial one for both teams.
The Bruins are having a great season with their offense stepping up and scoring 4.14 goals per game. David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron have scored nine goals and 10 assists to lead the top line but the entire offense has looked great to start the season. David Krejci, Taylor Hall, and Jake DeBrusk have scored eight goals and 11 assists while defenseman Hampus Lindholm is adding two goals and three assists from the point to help open up the offense.
The offense has carried the Bruins but the defense has also been great, allowing only 2.86 goals per game. Hampus Lindholm and Connor Clifton have led the top pairing but the rest of the defense has also stepped up with Derek Forbort, Mike Reilly, and the rest of the defense creating turnovers in the defensive zone and limiting shots on the net. Additionally, Linus Ullmark is having a great season with a .936 save percentage and a 2.01 goals-a gainst average on 171 shots.