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By: Brandon Flowers | Follow me on Twitter @BKFlowers1

The Bruins have had a really up-and-down year so far. Currently, the Bruins have played a total of 36 games. They have a record of 20-10-6, which is good for fourth-place in the MassMutual East division. One good thing for Boston is that they have a few games in hand on the teams above them in standings. With the position they are in now in the standings, along with the way this team is constructed, do the Bruins have a good chance of making the playoffs this year?

Looking at their issues so far this season, the Bruins have dealt with many injuries. Having injuries is not the sole factor as to why the Bruins have been up and down so far this year. Injuries are horrible for any team and don’t allow for chemistry to build between the players since the lines are always being shuffled around.

( Photo Credit: Paul Vernon / Associated Press )

Another issue Boston has faced this season is their lack of scoring. Besides, for the Bruins top line, which has now been split up, they haven’t had much scoring from the bottom three lines. Boston can get many shots on goal every game, but they don’t get many high danger scoring chances. They need to get closer to the goal when shooting all those shots if they want good chances of scoring goals.

The Bruins currently sit in the final playoff spot in the MassMutual East division. They are six points behind the third-place team, Pittsburgh Penguins, and three points ahead of the fifth-place team, Philadelphia Flyers. The Bruins have a good chance of making the playoffs this year, but as of now, it’s looking like it will be as the fourth and final playoff spot. The Bruins could have a chance of moving up in the standings to third-place, only if the Penguins start to slip off.

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The Bruins main focus should be to try and get two points out of every game they play and not let the Flyers creep up too close behind them or overtake them in the standings. The Bruins have a mix of veterans and young players, which should allow them to make the playoffs this year even though there are many good teams in the East division.

The Bruins have been in this position before, they are already halfway through the season, and they need to keep pushing if they want to make a run at the Stanley Cup. If the Bruins need players to step up in the most critical of times, look no further than their two veterans, Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. They have been to the promise land before and will scratch and claw their way there again if given the opportunity. 

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With this year being a shortened season, pressure is on from the very get-go. When you have a team with a mix of veterans and young players, you want to capitalize on the opportunities presented to you. Boston needs to do that if they want to make the playoffs and make a run at the Stanley Cup.