The Boston Bruins haven't been getting any respect around the league all season. You constantly tune into national shows and see analysts saying the Bruins aren't that good and that their run is going to come crashing down. Meanwhile, fans of the team watch those clips and laugh because, against all odds, their team has been winning night in and night out.
Four points of a possible six on a quick road trip isn't the worst outcome for the Bruins, but the eye-test likely told every fan that something isn't quite right with the team. For maybe the first time this season, fans aren't so quick to discredit the national media, and the small cushion they once had in the standings has quickly vanished with the play of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Luckily for the Bruins, the Detroit Red Wings have fallen apart, which has kept them alive in that wild card race, even if the Blue Jackets pass both teams off. However, after a projections update from The Athletic's Dom Luszczyszyn, there might be another team the Bruins will have to start worrying about.
Projected 2025-26 NHL standings as of March 18 pic.twitter.com/hQIldYAaq8
— dom 📈 (@domluszczyszyn) March 18, 2026
In Dom's projections, the Bruins finish 10th in the Eastern Conference. It isn't hard to see that happening, as the defense has been bleeding chances lately and the offense has fallen apart at the worst possible time. There is a good chance that if Jeremy Swayman doesn't steal a ton of games down the stretch, the math might catch up to the Bruins.
I believe that while analytics paint a picture, it doesn't tell the full story. Some stick to analytics and care more about that than the eye-test, but with the way this team has been playing this season, it wouldn't be overly surprising to see them catch fire down the stretch and make all these projections moot. However, it does feel, watching the games, that their momentum has died down, and maybe a shot in the arm from someone like James Hagens will inject some life back.
The Senators lost to the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night and have a difficult second half of a back-to-back against the New York Islanders. If Ottawa drops the game Thursday night and the Bruins find a way to beat the Winnipeg Jets, the Senators could find it tough to claw their way back from that swing.
One piece of good news from Dom's projections? He has the Toronto Maple Leafs finishing sixth-worst in the league, and barring some lottery luck, that would be the ultimate bow on the gift of the Brandon Carlo trade.