On Monday afternoon, the Boston Bruins were looking to correct their ways and snap their losing skid where they were able to win just one game on their current homestand.
In their way was the Dallas Stars: a team tied with them in the overall NHL standings and a team leading their division and on a sneaky hot streak. Sure, leading the Central Division isn't exactly a huge feat this year outside of the top three, but it's still a feat nonetheless.
The Bruins, on the other hand, decided that they had had enough of losing, and snapped a four-game losing streak, defeating the Stars 4-3 in the shootout on Monday afternoon. It was their first such victory since Dec. 15 at the New York Islanders, and the first at home since Nov. 2 vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It was a very important win for Boston, here's why.
They're not going into their road-trip on a losing skid
When any team goes on the road, it's important to go into it on the right note, and they did that yesterday.
Going into their western Canada/Seattle trip, where they play four games in six days, the Bruins needed to show they could hang around and actually take a game the distance rather than folding when it counted.
This counts especially towards the goaltending, of which was superb on Monday afternoon. Goaltender Jeremy Swayman made a career-high 43 saves, not including eight in the shootout alone. After defeating one of the better teams in the league going into the trip, Boston should feel good.
The offense was back and able to rally
Okay, maybe 4-3 isn't a huge offensive showing, but the ability to hang in there was definitely there in Monday's win.
The Bruins got on the board first, then the Stars got one back and even took the lead after that. Then Boston came back to tie it, then Dallas took another lead, but with the goalie pulled, it was (again) tied up by the hosts on a one-time slap shot by David Pastrnak
TORTELLINI TO TIE IT UP 🍝 pic.twitter.com/81rpkEL1yK
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) February 19, 2024
It's no secret that the Bruins have struggled as of late with the goalie pulled, but on Monday afternoon it paid dividends and showed exactly why it's useful.
The win puts them in a position to take the Presidents' Trophy lead back sooner rather than later
Last year it was the downfall of the team, but Boston was running away with it, this year it might help the Bruins. What am I referring to? The Presidents' Trophy. It might help, especially if they have to work harder for it.
With the win, and the Vancouver Canucks loss to the lowly Minnesota Wild, they now sit atop the Eastern Conference with 77 points and just three behind the leading-Canucks who have 80.
With Boston playing two games in Alberta that should be wins, while Vancouver visits the Colorado Avalanche and Seattle Kraken, this gives the Bruins an opportunity to take the lead before they even need to win the head-to-head series on Saturday - clinching a potential tie breaker between the two teams.
What's next for the Bruins?
Boston is back on the ice on Wednesday, Feb. 21 when they take on the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place, puck drop is scheduled for 10 p.m. EST on Max and TNT.