By: Brandon Murdock | Follow me on Twitter/X @Brandonmurdoc11
Coming off last season’s bottom-five finish in the standings, there were not many expectations for this year’s Boston Bruins team. However, the B’s have defied the odds and made a huge push this season to reach the postseason.
Currently, the team sits in the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, with 94 points and just seven games remaining. Given how things currently stand, the Bruins look like a playoff team and a tough out.
As we know, the Original Six franchise has been dominant at home, boasting a 28-10-1 record at TD Garden. Making it a difficult building to play in. But their Achilles Heel this year has been their play on the road.
The squad has struggled much of the season outside Boston, posting a 15-14-7 record. However, in March, they have figured it out a bit, going 4-2-2 on the road. This includes impressive wins on the second night of back-to-backs against the Buffalo Sabres (Mar. 25) and the Columbus Blue Jackets (Mar. 29).
They got a scrappy back-and-forth win over the Sabres, who are fighting for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. They then had possibly their best win of the season on Sunday against the Blue Jackets, when they fell 3-0 down in the first period, and then battled back to tie it with just 11 seconds remaining in the game, thanks to Pavel Zacha’s second goal of the game. Viktor Arvidsson ultimately scored the game-winning goal in the shootout for the Bruins.
The biggest thing that stood out from these two wins was the B’s mentality. They played a hard-nosed form of hockey, and even when things weren’t going smoothly, they managed to right the ship. They proved they can hang with the big boys.
Another fact that might scare other teams is that the Bruins’ best players are playing like their best players. I’m talking about David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Jeremy Swayman. As we know, if you want to have playoff success, you need your stars to succeed.
Pastrnak has been on another level this season. He currently has 92 points and is one goal away from his ninth career 30+ goal season. Swayman has put the team on his back many times throughout the year and could be in the conversation for the Vezina Trophy. McAvoy has returned to his dominant self after an injury-plagued 2024-25 season.
These three playing at their best could make this a team nobody wants to see in the playoffs. Cam Neely said he wants Boston to have some “piss and vinegar,” and that is what he is getting here down the stretch. This is a group that has essentially played playoff hockey for the last month or two just to get into the dance. Once they are there, it’s going to be tough to get them out.
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