The Boston Bruins had a fantastic month of December, posting a 10-2-2 record which helped them jump into second place in the Atlantic Division.
The Bruins now have 48 points on the season and are tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division standings despite playing three fewer games.
The team has gotten some fantastic performances from many players in December. Stars Tuukka Rask, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak have all had insane months, but the greatness of the Bruins hot streak lies in the performances of some unsung heroes.
Ryan Spooner
Spooner missed over a month with a groin injury, but he’s not so quietly returned to the lineup.
The 25-year-old center scored twice in the team’s Saturday night win over the Ottawa Senators. He’s found several ways to work himself back into the lineup and has done an efficient job of jump-starting some offensive shifts beyond the first line.
David Backes
Back in November, Backes had an operation to remove part of his colon, leaving the rest of his 2017-2018 campaign was in doubt. However, the 33-year-old made a far quicker recovery than expected.
Backes’ production seems to have gone under the radar, but he’s been quite productive in a Bruins lineup often criticized for lacking production beyond the first line. He has eight points over his last four games.
Brandon Carlo
Easily the most underrated player on the Bruins roster right now, Carlo is quietly having a sensational defensive year.
His offensive numbers aren’t as exciting as those of his breakout 2016-2017 season, but he is plus eight on the ice right now and contributing to a reborn Bruins’ blue line. Star rookie Charlie McAvoy and veteran Zdeno Chara are going to get the headlines, but Carlo is one of the overlooked x-factors of this team.
