It was less than a week ago when the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens were playing for first place in the Atlantic Division. The Bruins won that game to take control of the division, but they suffered a bigger loss when Charlie McAvoy was injured. The Bruins haven't won a game since, and the tight race in the Eastern Conference has the team falling quickly in the standings.
The Bruins' place in the standings was a bit of a false narrative anyway, considering they had many more games played than some of the teams around them. However, the speed at which they fell in the standings after just three losses is an unfortunate reality given the league's high parity.
Only three teams in East this morn with lower points pct than Bruins (.545)
— Kevin Paul Dupont (@GlobeKPD) November 20, 2025
The Bruins are now in a three-way tie for second place in the Atlantic Division based on points, sitting just one point behind the Detroit Red Wings for first. They have the most games played in the conference, and their points percentage puts them near the bottom, which is discouraging after the seven-game winning streak. With all the injuries ravaging the lineup and a suddenly difficult California road trip, there's a possibility that the Bruins will soon be closer to the bottom.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, and Buffalo Sabres are the only teams with worse percentages. There's a good chance that the Leafs eventually figure it out and at least climb above the Bruins, leaving them battling the Rangers and Sabres. With 60 games still to go, the Bruins are looking more and more like the tank could be on.
How the tight Eastern Conference could change Bruins' plans rather quickly
Once we get past the Eastern Conference standings, it'd be time for fans to start looking at the points percentages for the entire league. The Bruins currently have the ninth-worst mark, with teams like the Leafs, Rangers, and Edmonton Oilers sitting worse than them.
If you assume at least those teams pass off the Bruins, Boston will then be in the same position as they were last year when they landed James Hagens with the seventh-overall pick. If they finish near that this season, the hope will be that this is the year the lottery balls fall their way and they get a reward in the form of Gavin McKenna or Keaton Verhoeff.
Not to be the bearer of bad news, but Bruins fans shouldn't get too optimistic about their second-place standing in the Atlantic Division. If this road trip continues to yield poor results, the points percentages suggest the standings could look much different in short order.