Boston Bruins: Out Of A Playoff Spot
The Boston Bruins once again face a must win game. With Detroit’s 3-2 win over Toronto, the Bruins tumble from the third playoff spot in the Atlantic all the way out of a playoff slot. The B’s have to find a way to get at least a point out of tomorrow’s contest with the Chicago Blackhawks if they expect to get back into playoff contention.
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“A big game, we’ve known that coming into it,” said Bruins defenseman Torey Krug. “These games down the stretch mean a lot obviously and it’s a good test for us. I think we’re ready for a big matchup, and hopefully we respond.”
“I think this group just always sticks with it, no matter what happens — the outcomes of games or the situation,” continued Krug. “We just try to keep an even-keel perspective and make sure we come back and play with the right attitude and the right way, and just keep it going.”
In tomorrow’s game against Chicago, the Bruins could likely be down two defenseman. Dennis Seidenberg didn’t make the road trip, and Kevan Miller is listed as doubtful for tomorrow’s game because of the undisclosed injury he sustained during the first period in the game against the St. Louis Blues.
“We’ve just got to make sure we stay within ourselves and no one can try to act like a superhero out there,” offered Krug on how the B’s can beat one of the strongest teams in the Western Conference. “Just stick to your guns and what makes you successful, and hopefully as a group we can pull it together and just try to do it as a committee.”
Coach Claude Julien offered his opinions on what the keys to the game would be. The last time these two teams met, the Bruins earned the upper hand against Chicago in a 4-2 decision.
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“I thought we played a real good game. I thought we skated well. I thought we were moving the puck well from our own end, the D’s were making good first passes,” said Julien. “We had good speed going through the neutral zone.”
“But at the same time, this is a team that creates a lot from just inside their blueline, getting some speed and attacking through the neutral zone, and I thought we did a real good job of minimizing that, neutralizing that, so that they didn’t have that speed that they normally have.”
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“We have to do the same thing. They’re a good skating team, a team that can make a lot happen from the rush, and obviously in the zone they’re very active, they move around a lot, so we can’t get caught out of position as well. We’ve got to respect that part of our game.”
If the Bruins can play to their strengths, then they’ll be back in playoff contention. If they don’t, they’ll only have three games left to pull off some sort of last second miracle.