The Bruins have basically received all they’ll win within the common season. They captured the Presidents’ Trophy, thus giving them house ice benefit all through the playoffs.
But with 5 video games remaining, beginning with Thursday’s contest in opposition to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the B’s nonetheless should compete bodily and put together mentally for the oncoming playoffs. And they’ve causes to point out up for these closing video games.
First, there may be the common season wins document of 62 held by the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings and the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning, which the membership is now embracing as a method to inspire themselves. The B’s must win three of their closing 5 video games to surpass that mark.
And much more instantly, they had been dealing with the Leafs on Thursday and the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, two groups that they may conceivably see within the second and/or third rounds of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
“There’s a lot of value,” mentioned coach Jim Montgomery of the video games in opposition to Toronto and Jersey. “It ups everybody’s antennas as far as intensity and purpose and getting to be able to test yourself on where you’re at, individually and collectively against the elite teams in the league.”
How Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe and NJ coach Lindy Ruff strategy these video games is anybody’s guess. Scoring a win over the B’s may imply extra to them than profitable may imply for the B’s. The Devils are 0-2 in opposition to Boston and Toronto was 1-2. But Montgomery mentioned he received’t go as far as to do any team-specific game-planning for these video games.
“We’re just worried about ourselves and playing Bruins hockey, playing the best version and playing the right way. If we do that, we’re going to be in games regardless. And then it’s good to see how we handle whether the games are tight or whatever the situation is, how we respond to that,” mentioned Montgomery. “We get really specific about the other team once we know who we’re playing in the playoffs. Because to change our game – the Leafs and New Jersey are so different – if we change our game today and then have to change our game again to a completely different game, you’re not making wrinkles to your game, you’re going to to play those teams drastically different. So… as I’m thinking about it, I’m starting to talk slow, so players would play slow, so now you’re not even in the game.”
As for the wins document, the B’s had beforehand maintained that it didn’t matter to them. It was too distant they usually feared it could take their focus away from their day-to-day course of. But now that it’s nearly inside their grasp, they could as nicely go for it.
“We’ve talked openly about it that now that it’s such a short term, only five games, that chasing history helps us mentally prepare for the playoffs,” mentioned Montgomery. “We think winning begets winning. If we had four wins less, we wouldn’t have the opportunity and it’s maybe not as easy to get up for the games. The regular season we’ve had so far is going to help us for the playoffs. That’s how we’re looking at it.”
Said Charlie Coyle: “Sometimes there are those little lulls where you’re already solidified in a spot and how do you keep that focus, how do you almost provide challenges for yourself? And that’s one there that can keep us motivated and give us something to strive for. Yeah, it’s not the end of the world if we get there or not. You grow up and you want to win a Cup, right? So that’s the main thing. But these little things along the way are only good things that you can add to your resume. I think as a team, it shows a lot of what we’re capable of and what we’ve accomplished this year.” …
Frozen Four emotions
With sturdy illustration from Boston University (Coyle, Matt Grzelcyk, Charlie McAvoy and A.J. Greer), the Frozen Four was a giant subject of dialog within the B’s locker room Thursday morning. But Quinnipiac’s Connor Clifton was proudly carrying his college colours after the morning skate.
“It creeps me out sometimes,” joked Clifton of all of the Terriers within the room.
Montgomery received an NCAA title as a participant with Maine and as a coach with Denver and he’s nonetheless very a lot a fan.
“It’s the pinnacle. I’m curious to see. I’m a big fan of (BU coach and former Bruin assistant) Jay Pandolfo and his style of coaching and I’m excited to see his group – it’s the first time any of those players have been in a Frozen Four – how they handle the big moment,” mentioned Montgomery. “Because they’re going to be in front of 18,000 people and they’re going to be playing the No. 1 team on the country (Minnesota), so it’s a big opportunity. Win or lose, that program is going to grow and get better. And then to see the two Big 10 teams that have the most talent on paper, Minnesota and Michigan, and to see how Quinnipiac and BU do against those teams, the battle within the game, the game within the game. It’s the momentum swings and how people handle the momentum swings. In college hockey, you don’t have seven games. You have one game, and you have to be able to be able to put anything that’s happened, good or bad, behind you.”
As Greer was waxing poetically about BU, former Black Bear Jeremy Swayman chirped, “A.J., you played there for two months,” to which Greer responded “Is Maine even D1?”
For the document, Greer did go away early in his sophomore season, however he’s simply two courses shy of his diploma. …
Day off
While the B’s weren’t treating Thursday’s sport as a throwaway, they had been exercising precaution. David Krejci (decrease physique) was being held out for the second straight sport and Taylor Hall, out since Feb. 25, was not but cleared to play, mentioned Montgomery.
Source: www.bostonherald.com