Boston Bruins Can’t Let Points Get Away Early In The Season If They Plan On Making The Playoffs
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
The Boston Bruins won a rare game at home on Thursday against the Minnesota Wild and claimed some much-needed points. The Bruins have fallen into a bad habit of letting points slip away late in games, most notably at home. Boston is currently sitting with a home record of 3-6-1 which is simply unacceptable for a team trying to make the playoffs. The Bruins have been very solid on the road, however, posting a very respectable 6-2-0 record. The Bruins players are aware of the situation they are in regarding points and games played, and it’s clear that as a unit, they want to make the best of it.
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“When you look at the standings, especially the games in hand, we’ve got to make sure we take advantage of it – especially on home ice.” Torey Krug said. “We know the points matter and for us, it’s about having that sense of urgency to respond after a win and hopefully put a couple together”. The Bruins finished the 2014-15 season with 96 points which was good for 9th in the Eastern Conference, only one position out of the second wildcard spot held by the Pittsburgh Penguins who had 98 points. Torey Krug made it clear that the Bruins haven’t forgotten how close they were to the playoffs, and it’s become a motivating factor for them this season. “There is a sense of urgency because last year, we were letting points slip away early on and it came back to bite us at end of the season.” Although the Bruins might be fueled by that motivation, the results have been less-than-acceptable so far this season,
“I’ve been watching most of the year,” Dennis Seidenberg said. “It seems like we’ve played one good game, and then one game that’s kind of totally not us.” Seidenberg was referencing the fact that he missed every game of the season prior to the previous four, and from an outsider looking in, it’s clear that the Bruins aren’t playing up to par. Seidenberg continued by saying “The challenge for us is to follow up what we did (Thursday).” If the Bruins can string together a few good games in a row, they have the room to move up in the standings.
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Currently sitting at 19 points with 18 games played, the Bruins are trailing the Tampa Bay Lightning who have 21 points in 21 games played, and the Detroit Red Wings who have 22 points in 20 games played in the Atlantic Division. With a few games-in-hand, the Bruins have a chance to make their mark, but they will need to prove that they’re motivated because they haven’t won consecutive games in November, and have yet to win consecutive games at home this season.
The Boston Bruins will look to win their first consecutive games of the month, and first at home of the season when they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday at the TD Garden.
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