Bruins' improvement under Sacco will be put to test on tough road trip

The Boston Bruins have looked like and played like a completely different team since making a head coach change on Nov. 19.

They've earned a 7-2-0 record since firing Jim Montgomery and elevating Joe Sacco to interim head coach. The B's also have a season-high four-game win streak after beating the Philadelphia Flyers in overtime last Saturday. Many facets of the team's performance -- including goal scoring, defense, goaltending, third period play, etc. -- have improved since making the coaching switch.

All of this progress will be put to the test over the next 10 days as the Bruins embark on what likely will be their most difficult road trip of the 2024-25 NHL season.

It all begins Tuesday night in Winnipeg, where the Bruins will play the first-place Jets, who sit tied atop the league standings with a 20-9-0 record. The Bruins will then play the Kraken in Seattle on Dec. 12 before going to Vancouver for a Dec. 14 matchup with the Canucks. Boston also makes a swing through Alberta to play the Calgary Flames on Dec. 17 and the defending Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 19.

The Oilers, Canucks and Jets are all in a playoff spot as of Tuesday morning. The Flames and Kraken are both within three points of a wild card spot.

After collecting a bunch of valuable points against non-playoff teams in recent weeks, the Bruins' schedule is about to get a lot more challenging. In fact, the Bruins have the third-toughest remaining schedule, based on their remaining opponents having a combined .564 win percentage.

Five-game road trips versus quality opponents are always a tough task, but it's a little easier when you can go into the trip playing your best hockey of the season so far.

“I’d like to see how we respond on the road. I think it tells a lot about your team when you get on the road, about the identity of your group and how you respond in those different environments,” Sacco told reporters Monday. “We’re going to play one of the better teams in the league in our next game. I won’t look too far ahead because Winnipeg is obviously going to be a nice challenge for us.

"But I think it’s important that we remain true to our identity, and that’s what’s given us success lately. But it’s a test on the road for us, and I think that’s where you see your group and how you respond, when you don’t have the last change on the ice and you have matchups that you're not in control of, how guys respond to those different situations."

The Bruins have made huge strides defensively since the coaching change. They have been a more physical team that's done a good job limiting scoring chances and protecting the front of the net. The forecheck has been stronger and the puck-possession game has been better.

Starting goaltender Jeremy Swayman also has climbed out of his early-season slump. Swayman posted a .884 save percentage in 14 games played while Montgomery was the head coach. He has a .918 save percentage in six appearances since the coaching change. There's no better way to boost a team than improved goaltending.

How much of the Bruins' improvement defensively and in net can be attributed to the soft schedule they played the last couple weeks? It's definitely a factor. Eight of the nine games since the coaching change were against opponents not in a playoff spot as of Tuesday morning.

This is why the upcoming road trip is so important for the Bruins. We will find out if the improvements made of late are real or just a product of an easy schedule.

The Bruins still have loads of room for growth offensively. They ranked 28th in even-strength goals scored under Montgomery. They are 16th in even-strength goals with Sacco. Can they score three or four goals on the road against quality opponents? Boston has a minus-10 goal differential in 11 road games so far this season.

The Bruins were close to rock bottom when they made the coaching change. They had a 8-9-3 record and there were real doubts about whether this team could make the playoffs. The B's deserve a lot of credit for getting their season back on track.

But the objective for this team before the season wasn't to just make the playoffs, it was to be among the top contenders in the Eastern Conference. The Bruins' performance on this upcoming road trip will tell us a lot about the direction of their season.