Nick Jehamy | February 1st, 2020
We have hit 2020 and with the turn of the new decade, we here at The Scorecrow are putting together our All-Decade teams for each franchise. So who made the All-Decade team for the Boston Bruins? Let’s take a look.
The All-Decade team consists of a full team of skaters; four forward lines, three defensive lines, and two goaltenders. My criteria for choosing who made the team is a mixture of historical significance and statistical performance.
*The Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup in 2011
Forwards
First Line
Patrice Bergeron, Center, 2003-Present
Bergeron can arguably be put on the NHL All-Decade team, so putting him here is a no brainer. He is sixth in Bruins franchise history in goals, assists, and points. Over the last decade, Bergeron won four Frank J. Selke trophies and a King Clancy Memorial trophy to go along with his contribution to winning the 2011 Stanley Cup.
Brad Marchand, Left Wing, 2009-Present
Marchand is an offensive force that cannot be stopped. With the Bruins throughout the decade, he has produced a total of 283 goals and 342 assists. Last season he hit the 100 mark in points and each season before he broke 80 as well. He has been in the top ten in goals, assists, points, and plus-minus numerous seasons throughout the decade.
David Pastrnak, Right Wing, 2014-Present
He hasn’t been around as long as his first line counterparts but his impact has been near as great. Three straight seasons of 30+ goals and 70+ points, and currently already eclipsing both those marks with 30 games still to go in the season Pastrnak is the bridge between the great’s of the past and what to look forward to moving forward for the Bruins.
Second Line
David Krejci, Center, 2006-Present
Krejci is loved but probably overlooked at how great he really was because he was always behind Bergeron. Krejci led the Bruins in postseason points with 90 over the last decade, leading the team in postseason points on two different occasions, one of which being the 2011 run for the Stanley Cup. Krejci was consistently producing at least 50 points on the season six different times this decade.
Milan Lucic, Left Wing, 2007-2015
Lucic was an aggressive player who wasn’t one to shy away from getting into it with an opposing skater. He was a pivotal part of the Bruins Stanley Cup run and even though he only played half the decade he was a key part of this Bruins organization.
Nathan Horton, Right Wing, 2010-2013
He wasn’t on the team long so his overall numbers don’t stand out the way many others here do. His impact over the decade came mainly in his first season where he scored 26 goals for the Bruins in the regular season and then once the postseason hit, he dominated. Horton scored eight goals, many in crucial moments for the Bruins to help them in their trek for the Cup. In postseason numbers with the Bruins were almost better than the regular season.
Third Line
Tyler Seguin, Center, 2010-2013
This isn’t his first appearance on one of our All-Decade teams, Seguin spent most of the decade with the Dallas Stars but he started the decade out with the Bruins. He had a better plus-minus in his three years with Boston than he had in seven years with Dallas. Seguin produced 121 points for the franchise in his short stint with them and was on the Stanley Cup winning team.
Daniel Paille, Left Wing, 2009-2015
In his six seasons with the club, he didn’t produce great offensive numbers but he was an asset to the team nonetheless. He scored 50 goals and tallied 45 assists in his time with the Bruins through the first half of the decade.
Shawn Thornton, Right Wing, 2007-2014
Thornton some may argue could have been on the second line but I gave it to Horton for his postseason prowess. He wasn’t the flashiest player but he did what he was asked to do. He was loved by many of the fans and produced when needed to. His time with Boston was the best of his career.
Fourth Line
Ryan Spooner, Center, 2012-2018
Spooner’s first few years with the team were rough as he started his career at a slow pace but he ended his time with the Bruins strong. He provided well for the team assisting on 101 goals during his time with the team this decade.
Loui Eriksson, Left Wing, 2013-2016
Eriksson’s time with the Bruins was short but he made the most of it. He scored 62 goals and 85 assists over his three seasons with the team ad that was with one slightly shortened by injury. His final season with the team was reminiscent of his time in Dallas where he was an offensive machine producing 70 points three seasons straight.
Mark Recchi, Right Wing, 2008-2011
Boston is where Recchi ended his 22 year long career. Now enshrined in the Hall of Fame, Recchi ended his career with back-to-back 40 point seasons with the Bruins and a Stanley Cup with the franchise to end his career on a high note.
Defenseman
First Line
Zdeno Chara, 2006-Present
Chara’s plus-minus is over 200 on the decade, he would easily be in the conversation for first line defenseman for the NHL All-Decade team as he has been a brick wall for the Bruins defensively over the last ten years. He has been the captain for the team throughout the whole decade and there is probably no one more deserving to be on this list than he is.
Torey Krug, 2012-Present
With three straight 50+ point seasons for the Bruins this decade, Krug has been one of the best offensive defenders in the game. He has produced 321 points over his career with the franchise and has shown this high level of play in the postseason as well most recently leading the Bruins in assists in last year’s postseason.
Second Line
Dennis Seidenberg, 2010-2016
His time with the Bruins was the majority of his career and some of the best hockey we’ve seen him play. He was solid offensively but his defensive play was something special and usually overlooked playing next to the great Chara.
Johnny Boychuk, 2008-2014
The majority of the decade was with the New York Islanders but he started it out with the Bruins. Boychuk was an above-average defender that was great for the line he was on, bringing solid depth to an already fantastic defense he was a great asset to the Bruins early on this decade.
Third Line
Kevan Miller, 2013-Present
Adam McQuaid, 2009-2018
Both Miller and McQuaid finish out the last defensive line based on longevity. Neither a very flashy player but both have brought good depth to the Bruins defensive side over the last decade consistently. Miller has shown some promise if he can just stay on the ice he will be solid for the franchise moving forward.
Goaltenders
Tuukka Rask, 2008-Present
I am going to give Rask the edge here based on longevity. He consistently has been dominant for the Bruins over the decade and has the most wins in Bruins franchise history. Rask won the Vezina trophy in 2014. he has been in the top five in save percentage five different seasons this decade and out of all active qualifying goaltenders, he has the best save percentage in the league career-wise.
Tim Thomas, 2003-2012
He wasn’t with the team long this decade but Thomas had one of the greatest seasons by a goaltender in recent NHL history. That season, of course, came the year that the Bruins went on to win the Stanley Cup. Thomas had 35 wins, 1800 saves, a save percentage of .938 and a GAA of 2.00! That year he won both the Conn Smythe trophy and Vezina trophy.
Honorable Mentions
Here are a few honorable mentions of players at each position group that just missed out on making the Bruins All-Decade team.
Jaroslav Halak, Goaltender, 2018-Present
Chris Kelly, Forward, 2010-2016
Andrew Ference, Defenseman, 2006-2013
All three of these players were solid in their own right but not enough to get onto the main list. No goaltender was beating out the efforts of Thomas and Rask but Halak would take the number three spot. Ference was solid his short time with the team this decade but I gave the edge to longevity at the third line defensively. Kelly would be next man up on the offense, producing 101 points during his time with the Bruins and being a part of the Stanley Cup winning team where he played in every game that postseason.
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