After a disappointing 2024-25 season, the Boston Bruins naturally have a good amount of doubters heading into this upcoming campaign. This is especially so with the Bruins trading several of their former core players this past season.
While speaking to reporters, including Boston.com's Conor Ryan, Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov made it clear that he is ready to prove the team's critics wrong.
"Obviously, the main goal for us is to get back into the playoffs and show our fans, show our city that we can do it. We're reading what you guys are writing, and it doesn't get passed in this room. Obviously, being underdogs this year, being a team that nobody's putting anywhere close to where we should be, so it's kind of putting an extra chip on our shoulder for sure."
It is easy to understand why Zadorov and the Bruins are using what the team's doubters are saying as motivation heading into the new season. They will be looking to prove that last season was simply a fluke and that they can be a playoff team again in 2025-26.
For the Bruins to get back into the playoffs, they will undoubtedly need key players like Zadorov to be on their A-game this campaign. In 81 games this past season for the Bruins, the 6-foot-6 defenseman recorded four goals, 22 points, 145 penalty minutes, 219 hits, and a team-best plus-25 rating.
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