Boston Bruins: Drew Stafford Worth Every Penny

The Boston Bruins got a little lucky in their 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday afternoon, thanks to Stafford’s last second goal. The B’s now have 78 points and a little more control over their own destiny.

When the Boston Bruins grabbed forward Drew Stafford at the trade deadline, there was a general feeling of adequacy among the Bruins fan base. He was a reliable bottom-six winger that would likely force players like Matt Beleskey or (more likely) Jimmy Hayes to the ninth level as the season drew to a close.

So far, Stafford has been worth every penny. Stafford has put in a point a game with the Black and Gold. He’s got four points (two goals) so far for Boston. (Watch out, he’s closing in on Jimmy Hayes folks.) Stafford’s fit in well with the B’s and can do a decent job as a middle-six winger.

Stafford’s second Bruins goal of the season came with just 5.6 seconds left in regulation.  Stafford was in front of the Philadelphia crease trying to get the team a goal from point-blank range.  He fired the puck in, and got an incredibly lucky bounce off the stick of Brandon Manning (who had already had a less than perfect day courtesy of Matt Beleskey) that went past Philly netminder Steve Mason and help seal the deal for Boston.

Yeah, this guy’s a keeper folks.

For those not keeping count, the Boston Bruins are 10-3 under interim head Coach Cassidy. They have yet to lose back to back games with their new bench boss. Their most recent win now gives the Black and Gold 78 points, and a slightly better hold on third place in the Atlantic Division.

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The Boston Bruins are finally starting to see some separation in the standings. The Bruins are holding on to a four point lead over Toronto. Still, the Bruins know they’re not safe. With the possible exceptions of Detroit and New Jersey, every team in the Atlantic have a fair chance of knocking the B’s out of the playoffs.

The Bruins are now off for a four game Canadian road trip. This will not be an east stretch for the Black and Gold. They’ve got to take on Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton (and all three teams have former Bruins players that left in a variety of less than great reasons).  The Bruins finish up the road trip against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

This road trip will shape the Bruins fate this season, and every point will be at a premium. In a perfect world, we’d want the Bruins to nab all eight points. Realistically, I’d be happy with five (especially if two of them came courtesy of the Maple Leafs).

https://twitter.com/NHLBruins/status/840697717588447238

“The chances that you get, you just take it and ride with it, really,” said Stafford of his last second heroics. “The way this game was, we were pretty sloppy throughout. It was kind of a tough one for us. But, this team – I’ve only been here for a few games- but you can tell that they know how to win games.

“Even when you’re not playing your best, you find a way to win and you find a way – whether it’s by a lucky bounce like that…99 out of a 100 times, it’s not going to go in. So, those kinds of breaks, you’ll take those, especially when things might not be going your way a certain night.”

Next: The Boston Bruins Have A Rough Road Ahead

Two odd thoughts occurred to me at the end of the game.

One – The Philadelphia Flyers might actually be the first team to go on a ten-game win streak and still find a way to miss the playoffs.

Two – As of today, Don Sweeney‘s grabbing Drew Stafford for a sixth-round pick (or even a fourth) officially cancels out his pick of Zac Rinaldo.