By: Ryan Bosworth | Follow me on Twitter/X @RyanJBosworth
There’s no tighter playoff race than the one taking place in the Eastern Conference. Constantly rotating standings positions between the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, and Columbus Blue Jackets. Boston currently sits in the first wild card spot, but both teams are circling. Another team not too far behind are the Ottawa Senators.
The Bruins have played a good season to this point, and they’ve been really competitive. Such is hockey, but they’ve certainly left a lot of potential points on the table, as games have often gone to overtime or a shootout where the Bruins are unable to close it out. It’s become a really common trend for them in recent years, but it’s never seemed to matter as much as it does this season.
Boston has had 18 of their 68 games this season require extra time. Of the 18, they’ve won ten and lost eight. While it may not look as extreme as it sounds, it carries more weight than you may think, especially considering the manner in which they’ve allowed teams to claw back.
They’ve left eight total points on the table and what were all very winnable games, often times finding themselves on top early and giving up the lead late in the game, allowing the other team to force overtime.
Five out of the Bruins’ last six games have required overtime or a shootout, and they were only able to win two of them. Most recently was Boston’s game against a young, competitive Montreal team, a game where both sides were exchanging goals and things were pretty even.
Dropping the extra point after a hard-fought, tight-checking, playoff-like game doesn’t sting. It’s the games where Boston was leading early, took their foot off the gas, and allowed teams to force overtime where it stings the most, and will haunt them down the stretch as playoffs near.
The Bruins’ disappointing loss on Monday at the hands of the struggling New Jersey Devils isn’t the only time they’ve squandered the extra point this season in a game they certainly should’ve won. The two most prominent are against Tampa Bay Lightning during the Stadium Series on February 1st, and against the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 8th.
I get it, it’s only three games, and three points. But let’s speak hypothetically for a second and say they were able to close on those games where they forfeited the extra point, because let’s be honest, there really hasn’t been a game requiring extra time that they weren’t in a position to win.
I specifically mentioned four overtime losses, which would be an extra four points in the standings, which would have them tied for second place in the Atlantic Division with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and not fearing that they may miss the playoffs for a second consecutive year.
What’s happened has happened. There’s no rewriting the past, but the sentiment remains the same — the Bruins have forfeited some very valuable points in some very winnable games.
With only 14 games remaining, the Bruins can’t afford to give away any points. They’re currently on pace for 98 points, and after the 3-2 overtime loss in Montreal, they have a 61.2% chance of making the playoffs.
Leave a Reply