Warmer-than-normal temperatures in New England herald playoff hockey as well as the arrival of spring, which is much-needed. which the Boston Bruins are currently well-positioned to qualify for. They and the Florida Panthers share second place in the league with 82 points. Ironically, they are competing with each other for the division title. So why is there a sense of gloom about a squad that has the second-best point total?
The Bruins, on the other hand, have a 3-3-5 record since coming back from the All-Star break. They have also given up a third-period lead in four of their previous six games and haven’t won in regulation since February 8.
In light of their most recent overtime loss to the Seattle Kraken, Charlie McAvoy’s response to the issue of how his team can earn the additional point—”win, got to find a way to win today”—perfectly captured the hardship his team has been going through. Not another fake platitude about sharing the load or going one shift at a time. Straightforward and concise. However, the outcome did not follow.
Indeed, the Bruins’ 34-12 win-to-loss record is really good. But things become murky during overtime or a shootout. With 62 points, the New York Islanders and they currently share the league record with 14 losses apiece. Boston is currently looking up to the Panthers, who have four. An ideal science? No, but it is a solid baseline none the less.
To be fair, the team’s back-to-back wins against the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars last week were its most satisfying moments of the month.
But all of that seemed to evaporate when the team trailed the Vancouver Canucks in the third period, and Charlie Coyle’s late-game heroics in Seattle amounted to little more than a shoulda-coulda-woulda.
The experience of attending a Bruins game has occasionally grown rote. Into the last frame, a lead is nearly guaranteed to evaporate. Are you willing to put in extra time? Proceed at your own risk.
There is minimal chance that Boston will receive reinforcements in the form of a trade deadline acquisition on the first light of the fifth day since the market is set too expensive for what Boston can pay. Hopefully, they are almost done navigating through their first difficult period without the guidance of bygone days.