We are all still in a haze after that horrendous game 7 back in June. It has taken most of the summer to get the bitter taste out of my mouth, but today is the start of a new chapter. Here are some major themes I will be focusing on during the course of the 2019-2020 season.

First, let’s address the elephant in the room (or in this case the dinosaur), Zdeno Chara. I will be paying close attention to his decline and ineptitude on a nightly basis. I understand he HAS been one of the most dominant, intimidating D-men of the 21st Century, but he’s like 86 years old now. He is slow as molasses, and I will be the first one to point that out to you. However, my list of grievances with big Z goes far beyond his lack of speed. Every game I see him misplay pucks, try to force plays he can’t make, fail to clear the zone with little to no pressure, and frankly just put his teammates in compromising positions. I wish I wasn’t the only one around Boston with a brain that could point this out to you, but for now I’ll take the reigns.

Next, let’s just take it slow with Tuukka Rask. I have certainly contributed to some less than favorable opinions about him over the years, and I 100% admit that I wiped the record clean of all transgressions after the way he played in the 2019 playoffs. I am making a promise to myself and to all of you that I will not jump to any conclusions on the goalie this season. If he loses 5 straight games, so be it; if he goes on a 20-game unbeaten streak, great. Tuukka has a job to do, and so do all 18 of his teammates. Criticism will be for the performance on the ice, not for any speculation about personal turmoil, made up injuries, emotional distress, or lack of interest.

There are a couple of young forwards that everyone should be very excited about. While I’m aware this is no profound discovery, David Pastrnak and Jake DeBrusk can be two of the most electric scorers in the league. Pasta seems to really be coming into his own, and showed a huge improvement in his defensive responsibility toward the latter part of the season/playoffs. I think he’s truly getting comfortable in Boston and with his role on the team, and I look for him to run with it this year. As for Jake: I am looking for his emergence as a potential 30+ (maaaaybe even 40?) goal scorer. He has been a streaky scorer in his 2 NHL seasons, but if he can continue to improve his net front presence on the power play he could have 10-12 gift wrapped redirect goals. Speed, strength and youth needs to be the theme up front for this team.

And finally, our suddenly crowded D-corps. I am a big fan of Conor Clifton. I like his attitude, and his play on the ice has definitely been worthy of consistent playing time. I’d like to see exactly how the blue line duties are split up this season. Can Clifton continue to stay in the lineup even if the health of John Moore and Kevan Miller improves? Will there be a bit of a timeshare on the third D pair? Not only does Cliffy have the threat of veterans Miller and Moore taking playing time, but there are also young defensemen like Jeremy Lauzon and Urho Vaakanainen waiting in the wind if Cassidy decides to roll out some different combinations.

That’s all I have for now until I see some real games, but overall I’m feeling good about the start of the season. A nice 4-game road trip out west should set the tone for this group of guys to get it together and ward off complacency. Maybe if we’re lucky we’ll be done thinking about that wretched “Stanley Cup Hangover” by the time November comes knocking. Jegs-