The anticipation for opening night continues.

Fresh off two straight disappointing regular season exits, the Bruins are hoping to prove doubters wrong when they drop the puck against the Blue Jackets in Columbus. Will this be the year that they return to the playoffs? Or will a disgruntled fanbase see a similar brand of hockey from the last two years and call for changes in the organization?

There are many questions that need answers, but it’s always fun to prognosticate what might happen. With that in mind, here are five bold predictions for the 2016-17 season.

1. Brad Marchand finishes in top three in goals

Brad Marchand’s confidence is riding high following the World Cup and a new contract. (Photo by Joe Makarski, Bruins Daily)

A new contract? Check. Leading Team Canada to the World Cup? Check.

It’s been a fascinating month for Brad Marchand who is becoming one of the NHL’s best all-around players.

A year removed from a career-high 37 goals, good for sixth in the league in 2015-16, Marchand takes it one step further in 2016-17. His 42 goals will put him third at the end of the year behind Alex Ovechkin and Vladimir Tarasenko.

2. David Pastrnak remains a fixture with Marchand and Patrice Bergeron

Entering his third season, David Pastrnak will start 2016-17 with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand as linemates. (Photo by Joe Makarski, Bruins Daily)

The only thing missing from the chemistry between Marchand and Bergeron is the third wheel.

Since the Tyler Seguin trade, the revolving door around the third player with Marchand and Bergeron is something that head coach Claude Julien and company need to fix. They may have the player to do just that.

One of the players that Julien will test out on that line over the next few weeks is David Pastrnak. With Pastrnak looking to take the next step of his development, his skillset and offensive creativity should benefit Bergeron and Marchand if he uses his tools properly. Though his defensive game still needs work, Pastrnak’s emergence will give the Bruins a bonafide top scoring line.

3. The Bruins will have a Top-3 Calder Trophy finalist

Brandon Carlo is one of the few notable Bruins rookies penciled in for opening night. (Photo by Joe Makarski, Bruins Daily)

The influx of youth in the Bruins lineup is bringing a fresh perspective to the organization. The injuries to Kevan Miller and Adam McQuaid gives Brandon Carlo and Robbie O’Gara — both coming off strong camps — an opportunity to play on a Bruins blue-line in transition. Danton Heinen will get some fourth line minutes to start, but his offensive skillset and two-way game could move him up in the lineup.

How do the Bruins youngsters compare to the rest of the rookies beginning their NHL careers? For starters, surpassing Auston Matthews is going to be one tall task as he is the runaway odds-on favorite to capture the Calder. Winnipeg’s Patrick Laine is projected to be second fiddle to Matthews, just like he was at this year’s Entry Draft.

Given that he’s paired with Zdeno Chara on the top defensive unit, Carlo may be in the best position to succeed among all Bruins rookies. That will give him a leg up against the rest of the NHL’s first-year players, like Jimmy Vesey, Sebastian Aho, Shea Theodore and Mikko Rantanen.

4. Tuukka Rask bounces back to Vezina form

Tuukka Rask was sharp in the Bruins’ 1-0 overtime win over the Flyers in the preseason finale. (Photo by Joe Makarski, Bruins Daily)

Of all the predictions, this one may be a little bit of a stretch given his production the last two seasons. Though the problems don’t necessarily point directly at Rask, there’s no denying that his play has suffered since winning his first Vezina Trophy in 2014. With a heavier workload — 120-130 games played since the start of the 2014-15 season — and the blue-line struggles, Rask has seen dips in his goals against average and save percentage in that span.

With the influx of youth on the blue-line and an emphasis on playing fast, one might figure that this will go against Rask. Though he’ll see his fair share of chances, that could also be a benefit for Rask given that the D will be moving their feet more as they look to transition up the ice quickly.

The one thing already working for Rask? The team knows they have a quality backup in Anton Khudobin to spell his counterpart when needed. Assuming Kuhdobin’s production stays the same, this will give more opportunities for Rask to rest when necessary. This leads to a nice change of pace for Rask as he returns to the upper echelon among NHL goaltenders.

5. The Bruins advance to the playoffs…on the last day of the regular season

Following a two-year absence, Bruins Daily Managing Editor Tim Rosenthal believes the B’s will return to the postseason in 2016-17. (Photo by Angela Spagna, Bruins Daily)

Of all the preseason prognostications, the Eastern Conference elites are the following: Lightning, Panthers, Penguins and Capitals. The Habs are penciled in to have a bounce back season and return to the playoffs in the Atlantic, while the Rangers and Islanders out of the Metro will solidify a wild card spot.

That will leave the Bruins vowing for the last wild card spot again for the third year in a row along with the Red Wings, Flyers, Devils and perhaps the Hurricanes. It’s going to be a close race again that will come down to the wire, but unlike the last two years, the Bruins get in on April 8th — the last day of the 82-game slate — when they host the Caps.