What’s Bruin? Boston Bruins Head West
After losing four out of the last five games, the Boston Bruins are in desperation mode. This is not a good position to be in considering they are currently barely hanging onto the 8th playoff spot and face a difficult week ahead. With only four points separating them from the Florida Panthers – currently fighting for the 8th spot – it is crucial that the B’s capitalize on this road trip and take a bunch of points. Since they already lost the trip’s first matchup in a pathetic attempt against the Vancouver Canucks, they need to step up their game and start working together.
Calgary Flames
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On Monday February 16th at 9pm EST, the Bruins will face the Calgary Flames for the first time this season. The Flames currently find themselves in a similar position as the B’s. They are holding the 8th spot for the Western Conference and are fighting off the Minnesota Wild for the last playoff spot. Both teams will be fighting hard to take the two points.
Edmonton Oilers
The Bruins will head to Edmonton on Wednesday February 18th (10pm EST) to take on the Oilers for the second and final time this season. The last time these two teams met, the Bruins crushed them with a 5-2 win and did so without their captain, Chara, who was nursing a knee injury. The Oilers also had to play without their captain, and former Bruin, Andrew Ference. This time around, both players are expected to play and will be bringing their “A” game. For the Edmonton Oilers, their “A” game has unfortunately fallen fl
at this year, holding a record of 16-32-9 and a last-place standing in the Western Conference. This doesn’t mean that the B’s should take the game lightly. In fact, the Oilers are fighting to gain some points and will be coming out in full force. Hopefully the Bruins can bring the same effort they did in their first meeting to take the two points.
St. Louis Blues
Friday February 20th at 8pm EST, the Bruins will play the St. Louis Blues for their second matchup of the season. The B’s took the first game 2-0 thanks to their ace in the net, Tuukka Rask, who got the shutout by stopping all 33 shot attempts. For their second meeting, the Bruins will need to work harder as the Blues are currently holding third place in the Western Conference with 76 points. They have a lot of depth players and one of the best lines in the league – Vladimir Tarasenko, Jori Lehtera and Jaden Schwartz – so taking two points will be a difficult task.
After having a productive January, the Bruins have taken a wrong turn and are playing pretty poorly. They need to gain some momentum, stop turning the puck over and start winning some puck battles in order to notch points and hold onto a playoff spot. With some challenging match-ups ahead, the B’s will need to step it up and get back to playing like the team that we know they are.