Bruce Cassidy’s coaching era is over. To illuminate, Cassidy was not offered a contract to return to the Bruins. Cassidy took over for the fired Claude Julien in the final quarter of 2016-17. He led the Bruins to the 2019 Stanley Cup Final. Boston lost the seventh game of that Final at home to the St. Louis Blues. The NHL betting odds loss proved to be the closest Cassidy ever came. Cassidy was fired after the end of the season. Players complained to management about his autocratic ways. Now, Jim Montgomery takes his place.
2022-23 NHL Futures Boston Bruins
| Prop | Odds |
|---|---|
| Stanley Cup Odds | +2900 |
| Eastern Conference Odds | +1400 |
| Atlantic Division Odds | +900 |
Bruins Bring Rich History That Draws Gamblers
Founded in 1924, the Bruins are one of the NHL’s so-called Original Six franchises. To summarize, Boston has six Stanley Cup championships in its sportsbook history. Their most recent Cup championship was in 2011.
The franchise’s Glory Years coincided with the emergence of Hall of Fame defenseman Bobby Orr in the late 1960s. Those Big Bad Bruins featured stars such as Phil Esposito, Derek Sanderson, and Gerry Cheevers and won Stanley Cup championships in 1970 and 1972 while being in the hunt every season. In those days, the Bruins owned the town, which may have gone to their heads.
Following that glamour era, famous NHL TV commentator Don Cherry coached the Bruins from 1974 through 1979. The Don Cherry Bruins were more of a lunch-bucket team of grinders. Orr and Esposito were gone by 1976, but Cherry posted records comparable to the Big Bad Bruins. However, the Cherry-era Bruins never had a finishing scorer like Esposito or Orr. And they lacked the clutch goaltending of Cheevers.
The 2011 Bruins were a surprise Stanley Cup champion of drones and goaltender Tim Thomas. Specifically, that team was indicative of that era’s style of heavy hockey. In 2019 the Bruins made the Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues. Boston hosted the seventh and deciding game but was dominated in a 4-1 loss that still haunts the team.
SBG Odds Overview – 2022-23 Boston Bruins
In sum, the 2021-22 Boston Bruins finished 51-26-5 for 107 points. The Carolina Hurricanes eliminated Boston in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Boston ranked 15th for goal scoring, 15th for power play efficiency, 4th for goals against, and 9th for penalty killing.
New head coach Jim Montgomery compiled a 60-43-10 record as head coach of the Dallas Stars. But he was fired early in the 2019-20 season for personal conduct issues regarding alcohol abuse. Previously, Montgomery won an NCAA national championship as head coach of Denver. Montgomery was seen as an out-of-the-box hire that was widely praised. He is seen in NHL betting circles as having a lot of ability.
Montgomery’s first act as Boston head coach was to reach out to team captain Patrice Bergeron. Bergeron is contemplating retirement, but Montgomery and the Bruins want him back. Last year Bergeron, age 37, scored 25 goals with 40 assists and a +26. Another veteran forward, David Krejci, is not expected to return and should instead play in the Czech Republic.
Although rumored to be on the trading block, right wing David Pastrnak remains on the team. Last year he scored 40 goals with 37 assists with a +13. But in the playoffs, he had an underwhelming performance with two goals in six games.