At the second, the Bruins are safely ensconced in a playoff spot, only one level off the Eastern Conference lead and 13 factors separating themselves from the second wild card holder, the Detroit Red Wings.
So, sure, they’ve some runway to get themselves proper once more.
But make no mistake, after dropping 4 straight at house (they received the loser level in two of these), the B’s are combating towards a harmful riptide that might dramatically change the course of their promising season.
On Monday, they’ll face the Central Division-leading Dallas Stars earlier than heading out on a troublesome western swing that opens Wednesday in Edmonton towards arguably the most effective crew in hockey the final couple of months. Then they play in Calgary towards a crew that made the Bruins look very dangerous final week. On Saturday, the B’s journey to Vancouver to play the NHL-leading Canucks, who little question might be trying to atone for his or her no-show efficiency on the Garden, the one win the B’s have managed on this seven-game house stand. They end in Seattle per week from Monday towards a Kraken crew that stole a win on the Garden, due to goalie Joey Daccord.
After cruising by the common season final yr, the B’s had been hoping for some adversity to check their mettle. Well, they’ve received it on their plate now, piled excessive and deep. Whether you play nicely or play poorly in a loss, it’s nonetheless a loss, and dropping can snowball.
“I don’t think I’m as worried as maybe te outside people are because I see a good brand of hockey,” stated coach Jim Montgomery after Sunday’s observe in Brighton. “Do I see people making mistakes, yes. Other teams are making mistakes. We’re not closing out games, whether that’s special teams, whether that’s 5-on-5, whether it’s our forecheck, whether it’s our D-zone coverage, odd-man rushes, taking penalties. Those are all things that during the course of the year, you’re going to have moments like this. And I agree with you. This could snowball. We’ve got Dallas coming in one of the elite teams in the league. Then we’’re going to Edmonton, the best record in the league since December 1. And we’re on the road for four-in-six nights. Yeah, it can. But if you get caught up in that, you start worrying. That’s why we try and immerse ourselves in the moment and we just focus on (Monday).”
At the tip of Sunday’s observe, Montgomery huddled his prolonged management group – Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, Charlie Coyle and Brandon Carlo – for a chat. The coach stored the contents of that individual dialog between these gamers and himself. But typically, he stated his message to his gamers was about not dropping sight of among the good issues which can be taking place. There’s additionally some wagon-circling occurring.
“I talk to them about what I like and what we’d like to be better at. And also to stick together,” stated Montgomery. “And that’s why I talk to them about the outside noise. The sky’s not falling. It’s not. And we believe in the process that, if we get five percent better, we win our last three games. The Calgary game, the Washington game? That bothers me to the core. But when I see my team building and I see the group building the right way, it gives me confidence, so it’s easy for me to be confident around the team.”
Part of the B’s undoing currently has been on particular groups. On Saturday, they gave up a late energy play aim that tied the sport after which didn’t money in on an additional time energy play.
“Special teams is how you win or lose a lot of games in this league, so we need to be better there,” stated Marchand. “But other than that, we’re competing hard every game, we’re giving ourselves an opportunity to win and if we tighten up in a couple of areas, we’ll be great.”
Some tweaks had been made on the facility play in observe. Marchand was moved to the net-front, Morgan Geekie went to the bumper, Pavel Zacha took Marchand’s spot on the correct elbow whereas McAvoy (blue line) and Pastrnak (left elbow) took their common spots.
“I think when Geekie was down with that group, it was the highest power-play percentage we had for like a month,” stated Montgomery. “But there’s a reason why we went away from it and a reason why we’re going back to it. We’re tinkering, we’re looking at different looks.”
On the penalty kill and defensively in usually, Montgomery expressed confidence in Derek Forbort, their PK specialist who has struggled to search out his sport since getting back from a protracted layoff with a groin harm.
“I see a guy trying to come back and get in the rhythm of the game,” stated Montgomery. “I think he’s had some real good games and I think he’s had some games he’d like to make a few corrections on. But he’s someone we believe in and someone that’s going to help us in the long-term as he always has.”…
The Bruins will formally honor Marchand for his 1,000th sport within the conventional silver stick ceremony earlier than Monday’s matinee….
Jakub Lauko didn’t observe due to an higher physique harm. His availability might be decided Monday morning.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”