Claude Julien
Under head coach Claude Julien, the Boston Bruins have been a consistent title contender. Julien has been the Bruins head coach since 2007 and with him the Bruins have made the playoffs every season which was highlighted by them hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2011. But this season has been a little bit tougher for Julien and the Bruins. The Bruins record of 28-20-9 has them clinging to the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference as they are in the midst of a five-game losing streak.
Like other National Hockey League teams, the Bruins have had to deal with injuries this season, but for Boston none of their injuries have been bigger than the ones to defenseman Zdeno Chara, center David Krejci, and defenseman Adam McQuaid. Aside from being the Bruins captain, Chara is also one of the team’s enforcers and his presence was missed in the lineup for a portion of the season.
Aside from their current losing streak, the Bruins limped through the month of December as at one point they lost six out of seven games including consecutive losses to the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks. The Bruins appeared to be putting it all together last month when they won four games in a row which was highlighted by a 3-0 win over the New York Rangers, but February hasn’t been kind to Boston.
After a hard fought victory over the New York Islanders on February 7, the Bruins lost their next two games against the Montreal Canadiens and Dallas Stars respectively. The Bruins then hit the road for an important trip and so far they have been unable to answer the bell.
Last Friday, the Bruins began their road trip with a 5-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks. The Bruins came out focused this past Monday night when they raced to a 3-0 victory over the Calgary Flames. But the Bruins were unable to hold that lead as they fell in overtime to the Flames 4-3. Then last night the Bruins lost in a shootout to the lowly Edmonton Oilers which has left them scratching their heads and searching for answers. Now the Bruins must get ready to meet two of the better teams in the Western Conference as they’ll be on the road tomorrow night to meet the St. Louis Blues before facing the Chicago Blackhawks this Sunday afternoon in the Windy City.
Tuukka Rask
The Bruins offense simply has not been there this season as they are only averaging 2.60 goals which is tied for 21st in the NHL. The Bruins have also been unable to take advantage of the power play as they are 28th in the league in that category. Boston’s inept offense this season has put added pressure on Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask who’s 2.36 goals allowed and .920 save percentage are both 13th in the National Hockey League.
Hands down the Bruins are one of the most talented teams in the NHL, but like I’ve said before, talent alone doesn’t win games. And with the National Hockey League’s trade deadline looming on March 2, I don’t see Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli making a blockbuster move which means that it will be up guys in that locker room to turn things around. If nothing else we have seen in recent years that playoff seeding can be thrown out of the window as it just a matter of getting in to the tournament. The Bruins could very well enter the Stanley Cup Playoffs as one of the lower seeds in the Eastern Conference. If the regular season ended today the Bruins would meet their arch-rival Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the playoffs and if nothing else we have historically seen the feathers fly between these two. This was the same Canadiens team that shocked Bruins in the Eastern Conference Semifinals when Boston was heavily favored to win the Stanley Cup. But at this point the Bruins cannot worry about other NHL teams as they need to find a way to score, become more physical, and take some pressure off of Rask. The fans, Bruins front office, and players themselves are frustrated as it is now or never for Boston.
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