If alignment was the phrase in Craig Breslow and Sam Kennedy’s Zoom speech after the Rafael Devers deal, then the 2025–26 Bruins’ motto might as well be adapt offensively.
That message was not only repeated by Don Sweeney at Boston’s end-of-season press conference in April, but it was also brought up several times during Marco Sturm’s introductory press conference on June 10.
With the first-time bench coach entrusted with strengthening Boston’s defensive structure, encouraging the growth of younger players, and persuading veterans like David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy of his vision, Sturm has his job cut out for him in terms of turning things around in Boston.
However, it’s clear that the Bruins need to unleash more offensive potential from this roster if they hope to make significant progress and address the obvious shortcomings in their roster.
We need to figure out how to be more effective offensively, but I believe the Bruins’ DNA is playing well defensively, and that won’t change, Sturm stated. That will be our objective and the first thing we focus on, with special teams undoubtedly playing a significant role as well.
Boston’s attack struggled throughout the 2024–25 season, aside from David Pastrnak’s anticipated offensive dominance (43 goals, 106 points) and a standout season from Morgan Geekie (33 goals).
Boston ranked 27th in the league in goals per game (2.71), and 29th in the league in power play success percentage (15.2%), making their baseline statistics unappealing.
The numbers underneath were as ugly.
The Bruins finished 31st in the league in terms of shot attempts (3,859), 29th in terms of shots on goal (1,769), and 31st in terms of high-danger scoring opportunities (684), all while playing at even strength.
This offseason, the Bruins have the cap flexibility and perhaps draft capital to add some firepower through trades or free agency.
However, the Bruins cannot just dump a ton of money on the free-agent market in the hopes of finding a solution to their scoring problems.
Sturm will need to alter the team’s general O-zone strategy in order to extract more scoring punch from the present roster if the Bruins are to advance offensively.
For the time being, accepting anarchy in the offensive zone is the wisest course of action.
Peppering the net
The Bruins prioritized quality over number while choosing their shots during Jim Montgomery’s time in Boston.
The Bruins chose to increase their chances of creating Grade-A opportunities by being more selective with their shoots, giving priority to efforts from the slot and other high-danger looks, rather than throwing every puck on net in the offensive zone (which increased the risk of giving up possession as a result).
During Montgomery’s first two seasons, Boston’s 5-on-5 offense did increase as a result of that strategy. As long as you have the right talent to be so selective with shots, it’s a winning strategy.
Naturally, Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci were leading the way in the top six when the Bruins’ offense flourished in 2022–2023, with Tyler Bertuzzi, Taylor Hall, and Charlie Coyle strewn among the second and third lines.
The 2024–25 Bruins’ roster lacked the same depth of scoring and finishing prowess. And unless Sweeney pulls off a spectacular offseason comeback, the Bruins won’t be bringing in three or four new forwards this summer, all of whom have the ability to score twenty goals or more.
Therefore, in 2025–2026, the Bruins should abandon their shot-selection strategy and adopt the Bruce Cassidy-era strategy of peppering the net from every direction on the rink.
A surge in low-risk attempts that might result in the loss of puck possession could result from firing volley after volley of vulcanized rubber on net.
However, that strategy should also increase Boston’s chances of producing the rebounds, tips, and other greasy scoring opportunities that may help a team light the lamp more quickly when they lack the players to regularly capitalize on rush opportunities or shots from the slot.
Under Rod Brind Amour, the Carolina Hurricanes have been using this tactic for years.
With a Carolina roster devoid of top players, the Hurricanes have led the NHL in shot attempts at even strength play for the past three seasons since the 2022–2023 campaign. They often generate offense by putting pucks on goal.
IN THE LAST SECONDS: NECAS! The Hurricanes send it to overtime after Martin Necas hammers home the rebound!Twitter: #LetsGoCanespic/tAHX7Oq9TL
Although the Panthers have a lot more offensive power, they have also benefited from the same shot-ready strategy in recent years, finishing second to Carolina in even-strength play shot attempts this past season.
The Panthers defeated Boston 330-231 at even strength in Boston’s final postseason series against Florida in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
When it comes to creating a squad as deep as Florida’s, the Bruins have a lot of work ahead of them. However, Boston’s case can only be strengthened by allowing pucks to fly early and frequently, especially considering how hard they had to work for offense in 2024–25.
Getting the D corps involved
Preaching a shot-first strategy from the blue line, with those tries from the point or high slot also increasing the likelihood of a tumbling biscuit providing a juicy rebound down low, is another important factor in Carolina and Florida’s success.
Carolina featured seven (!) different blueliners in the top 50 in terms of shot attempts per 60 minutes of play out of the 256 NHL defenseman who played at least 200 minutes of even-strength ice time during the previous season.
Even a stay-at-home mainstay like Jaccob Slavin ranked 44th with 12.66 shooting attempts per 60 minutes, while Brent Burns came in second with 17.78 shot attempts per 60.
Carolina Hurricanes (2)pic.twitter.com/6KyV2mW0a2 Sean Walker
Two defensemen from Florida were ranked in the top 50, with Gustav Forsling coming in at No. 15 overall (15.36).
Last season, Hampus Lindholm (27th overall, 14.03) was the Bruins’ best defenseman in terms of shot attempts, but he missed the majority of the season due to a knee injury.
Regulars like Mason Lohrei (9.68 shooting attempts per 60, No. 137 overall) and Charlie McAvoy (9.15 shot attempts, No. 164 overall) also left a lot to be desired, while Nikita Zadorov, the next-best Bruins D-man in that metric, came in at No. 111 overall.
Skaters like McAvoy may need to be repeatedly lectured to adopt a shot-first strategy.
However, when the Bruins lack the skill to consistently take advantage of the rush or other Grade-A opportunities, an increase in those point shoots can provide them with a simple way to get high-quality looks.
The Bruins must make things simpler going ahead. Let the shots fly after getting bodies to the net.
Prioritize pressure and pace
It won’t be until training camp that we can fully see Sturm’s plans for Boston’s offensive scheme.
However, Sturm emphasized puck play, execution, and pace as the cornerstones of his O-zone strategy at his press conference.
“Scoring goals is not just (playing) in the offensive zone,” Sturm stated while discussing how to score more goals. I always start by asking, “How are we going to get there?” even though I know that’s where the puck will end up. Not concentrating on just one topic is also a significant role.
We can surely improve in a few areas. When we have the puck, I want them to think and act offensively. In addition to thinking quickly, we want to play with speed both with and without the puck.
The 2025–26 Bruins probably lack the talent to win and score goals on a regular basis (at least without No. 88 on the ice).
As a result, Sturm may be advocating for a more intense forechecking strategy going ahead, with his team pushing his players to force turnovers, pound puck retrievers, and rely on hustle and quickness to create looks they otherwise couldn’t.
Boston is unlikely to choose the Hurricanes’ hyper-aggressive 2-1-2 forechecking strategy, in which two players close in like heat-seeking missiles in an effort to force turnovers and cause chaos, given Sturm’s ties to a more structured system with the Kings.
When used correctly, the method works well, but if the forechecking team is unable to win foot races or isn’t precise with their puck play, it also makes counter-rushes more likely for the opposition.
The Bruins may choose to go with the Panthers’ still-effective 1-2-2 forechecking scheme, which has been used to break down rival defenses for the past few years, given Sturm’s emphasis on strengthening Boston’s defensive structure as well.
The Panthers may use their other two forwards as they want by throwing in pucks and sending one forward in to either win a foot race or crush the defenseman grabbing the biscuit.
As seen in this sequence below leading to an Aleksander Barkov goal in the Eastern Conference Finals against Carolina, Evan Rodrigues initially forces the pressure against Carolina s Shayne Gostisbehere as the first forward in.
This leads to a D-to-D pass between Scott Morrow and Gostisbehere. Morrow throws the puck into no-man’s land after Jesper Boqvist, who is hovering above the goal line, reads the play and decides to apply pressure.
Barkov quickly intercepts it, and a few seconds later, he buryes his chance, taking advantage of the hectic sequence.
This forechecking strategy allows the F2 (Boqvist above) to provide pressure when necessary by keeping two forwards high up so they can adapt to whatever action is unfolding in front of them. But if the F1 outright wins a puck battle by himself, he suddenly has two forwards hovering in Grade-A ice ready and willing to cash in on that manufactured Grade-A look.
It s a system that relies on speed and physicality as well as a connected system that puts it on the high forwards to digest the proper play and support the F1 as needed.
The 2024-25 Bruins were not the most fleet-footed squad, nor were they the best at making the proper reads.
But if the Bruins can add more speed to their lineup and Sturm harps on the need for pace on the forecheck, Boston could once again boost their chances of creating scoring chances by forcing turnovers, putting puck carriers under duress, and having bodies in place to bounce on those opportunities.
This season, the Bruins cannot rely solely on their talent.
But if they can create chaos in the offensive zone via throwing their weight around on the forecheck and peppering the net the opportunities should be there for Boston to pounce.
And given how onerous this past season was, the appetite should be there for Bruins fans if Boston s new system under Sturm involves hounding pucks and turning offensive-zone sequences into outright mayhem.
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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