Bruins rise to No. 1 in several NHL power rankings behind historic start originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
It’s hard to play better hockey than the Boston Bruins have through their first 10 games.
Jim Montgomery’s squad is off to a 9-1-0 start for the first time in franchise history. The Bruins’ latest win was perhaps their most impressive, as they overcame a three-goal deficit en route to a 6-5 overtime victory against the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
The win put the Bruins six points above the Buffalo Sabres in the Atlantic Division standings, and they currently have a four-point cushion atop the Eastern Conference. With such a torrid start, people around the league are beginning to proclaim the Bruins as the best team in hockey.
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The Hockey News placed the Bruins No. 1 in its latest NHL power rankings on Wednesday, followed by the Carolina Hurricanes at No. 2 and the Vegas Golden Knights at No. 3.
“Jim Montgomery’s got the B’s on an incredible run, and their most impressive win came Tuesday against the Pens after losing Jeremy Swayman and Derek Forbort to injury and overcoming a three-goal deficit to win in overtime,” The Hockey News’ Jason Chen wrote. “Charlie McAvoy has even yet to play a game this season, but his return is imminent.”
CBS Sports moved the Bruins up from No. 3 in their previous rankings to No. 1 on Wednesday, saying that nobody is at their level right now.
“Brad Marchand made his return to the Bruins last week and immediately notched three points in a 5-1 win over the Red Wings,” CBS Sports’ Austin Nivison wrote. “Boston is clicking in every facet of the game, and it is still nowhere near 100% yet. Any criticism of the Bruins to this point would be nitpicking, and they are the undisputed No. 1 team in the NHL right now.”
Boston has aced the first two legs of a difficult road trip, shutting out the Columbus Blue Jackets Blue Jackets on Friday before earning their come-from-behind win in Pittsburgh. If the team can pick up additional away victories against the New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs, it will be tough for anyone to knock Boston out of its No. 1 ranking.
