First place within the Eastern Conference doesn’t assure something. The Bruins had been rudely reminded of that reality final April when their record-setting common season went up in smoke within the first spherical when the Florida Panthers upset them in seven video games.
So the truth that the Panthers are sizzling and heavy behind them within the standings – going into Thursday’s video games, the Panthers had been simply two factors behind the B’s for first within the convention – shouldn’t be a motive for panic.
But if the B’s wanted assist specializing in their very own sport and course of – and a few video games final week loudly counsel that’s the case – then the tightening standings ought to present not less than some assist.
“I don’t use it all because we are really just focused on what we do. (But) we do recognize that it’s actually a good thing that the standings are tight,” mentioned coach Jim Montgomery. “It allows you to use it as motivation but it allows you to fight through some struggle. Battling for something is healthy. It keeps you in the right mindset down the stretch.”
The B’s had constructed a reasonably comfy lead over the Panthers throughout their sturdy stretch between the Christmas and All-Star breaks. But it didn’t take a giant tailspin to have the Panthers shut the hole with the way in which they’ve been enjoying. The B’s went 1-2-1 within the 4 video games because the All-Star break and right here’s Florida on their doorstep.
But Morgan Geekie is assured the group will regain its successful methods. He’s not fretting the standings.
“We know what we’ve got inside this room and, at least for me personally, I try not to focus on that stuff,” mentioned Geekie. “I know we let a few slip away coming out of the break but I don’t think people give us enough credit for how good of a team we can be, especially with the season this team had last year and the way we responded coming into the season. We’re building and we’re learning every day. It’s still fun coming to the rink every day. It’s not something we try to worry about. We’re just trying to play our own game and stay in our lane.”
Montgomery welcomes the problem not simply of different groups creeping up behind however that of working his group out of its dip within the highway.
“We went through it in December and came out a better team. Hopefully we’re getting out of it right now,” mentioned Montgomery, whose group was enjoying the fifth of a seven-game dwelling stand on Thursday. “I really liked our team game last game. I think we really played to how I think we can have success and we all believe we can have success. And I think there’s going to be more adversity. There’s still (29) games left. We have a lot back-to-backs and three-in-fours coming up so all of that is good for preparation. It’s why you go through the grind of the season. You want to be pushed, you want to be tested.”
Wotherspoon again in
The rotation within the third pairing continued for Thursday’s sport towards the Seattle Kraken, with Kevin Shattenkirk popping out of the lineup and Parker Wotherspoon going again in.
“It’s play driven, sometimes it’s matchup. And it’s not just those two. If other players’ games dip, we have confidence in all seven defensemen to get the job done,” mentioned Montgomery. “But we do want to keep guys in a rotation so to speak and it just feels like it’s been those two. But I’ve told those two it’s not just them. There’s going to be other guys (coming out) at some point, whether it’s injury or just play.”
Wotherspoon, a 26-year-old jourrneyman who’s paid his dues with six years performed principally with the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, has impressed Montgomery each on and off the ice.
“His confidence in making plays, his confidence in being physical and deterring other people to get to our net. Those are the two main things,” mentioned Montgomery
“He’s pretty comfortable as a person being up full-time. A lot of guys wonder (whether they’d be going back down) but he doesn’t seem to wonder. He walks around like he belongs, which is a great thing … it’s not easy being in a hotel room for a month and half. You’d like to hear, ‘Go get a place’ but it’s part of the game that I don’t think a lot of people understand when you’re a guy that’s been in Providence and maybe you’ve been back and forth, how hard that is. You’re eating out a lot and it’s hard. They’re grateful that they’re up and they’re glad they’re in the hotel, but it’s not as easy as people think.”
It’s getting higher for Wotherspoon. He’s discovered his personal place and is out of the resort. But being out and in of the lineup is one thing he handles with aplomb.
“I like to not change my attitude, have a good attitude every day,” mentioned Wotherspoon. “The main thing here is I’m here to win and if I came in with a bad attitude if I got scratched, then that affects the team and it’s just not me. It’s a different situation, but it’s hard to complain in the NHL.”
No jabs at Kraken
Geekie was enjoying his former group the Seattle Kraken, which surprisingly didn’t qualify him final summer season, for the primary time. He didn’t have a disparaging phrase.
“I was good friends with a lot of the guys over there and my wife was friends with a lot of the girls over there, too. It’s a great group of guys over there and I have nothing to have great things to say about them. It’ll be fun to go up against them,” mentioned Geekie.
One of his shut buddies on the Kraken is Hingham native Matty Beniers.
“We’ve played a lot of Mario card and stuff on the plane so we bonded well. He’s a great kid and he’s going to be in this league for a long time,” mentioned Geekie. “He’s got a great family and good head on shoulders. As long as he keeps his diet in order, I think he’ll be good.”
The eating regimen?
“He’s still a kid. He loves his sweets,” mentioned Geekie with a smile. “We all do but we can’t get away with it anymore. He still can.”
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