After dropping their 10th straight game on Thursday night, 4-1, to the Montreal Canadiens, the Boston Bruins are still looking for answers with six games remaining in the 2024-25 season. Overall, it might not be the worst thing if they don’t find any answers in the short term.
Right now, they are likely to pick in the Top 5 at this year’s NHL Entry Draft, and if they could slide up even higher, that might be better. However, losing 10 games in a row is frustrating, and it is waning on the players. They will look to avoid an 11th-straight loss on Saturday night at the TD Garden when they welcome the Carolina Hurricanes for their lone visit of the season after the first two meetings in Raleigh. Here are three things to watch for.
Can the Bruins avoid an 11th-straight loss?
I mean, at this point, does it even matter? Picking as high as possible should be the goal, but the players on the ice want to win, and you ge the feeling they will find at least one victory before the season ends. It’s hard to envision that happening against the Hurricanes.
Carolina has drubbed the Bruins this season and won one of the weirdest games of the season last month at home when the Bruins challenged for offsides on a goal with just over a minute left that broke a tie and had it taken off the board. In typical Bruins fashion this season, they had a turnover in their own, a broken stick on a pass, that led to a Seth Jarvis game-winner. Talk about another sequence that sums up the 2024-25 season. After that game, they traded Justin Brazeau to the Minnesota Wild.
Can the Bruins score more than two goals?
Talk about another tall order. Scoring has been difficult for the Black and Gold during this losing streak. Heck, getting shots on the net has been an issue during the losing streak. Let’s face it, the Bruins don’t have many forwards who can score. It feels like a lineup that has nothing but third and fourth liners on it.
Scoring is tough, and generating chances is tough, but trying to do it against the Hurricanes is a tall order for Joe Sacco’s group. Hey, who knows, maybe, just maybe, they end up getting some puck luck, and if there is a team that is overdue for it, it’s Boston.
Battle of special teams
Sometimes, special teams make the difference in games, and this one is interesting when the Bruins are on the power play. Carolina has the second-ranked penalty kill (may we see more short-shorted goals scored by the opposing team?), but when the roles are flipped, both are ranked 22nd. As if the Bruins need to face another obstacle in trying to score, special teams will be difficult to come out on top in.