Tim Kennedy of the Sabres celebrates a goal as the Sabres got three unanswered to top the Bruins 3-2 last night (Photo courtesy of Getty Images).
Four teams are already planning on a trip to the postseason in the Eastern Conference, and the Bruins want nothing more than to join them.
As it stands now, the Bruins are in the eighth and final spot in the East, with a game in hand on each of the two teams in sixth: the Flyers and Canadiens. Although there were some moments where it looked like they might be hitting the links in April, the Bruins have been a sight for sore eyes of late. It seems as though some sort of energy has finally clicked, and the black and gold have been scraping hard to continue skating after their 82-game regular season is over.
With a loss to the Sabres last night, the Bruins fell to 34-29-12 on the season, and have finally lost a game in regulation to Buffalo. Ryan Miller and company have already secured a spot in the postseason, and last night’s win left them just a point shy of Pittsburgh, who are second place in the Eastern Conference.
Should the stars align and the Bruins and Sabres meet in the playoffs, Boston fans would have to be somewhat confident since they have finished the season series at 3-1-1 against the Sabres. With Philadelphia faltering lately (3-5-2 in their last 10), the Bruins could very well climb into seventh in the conference by seasons end. Montreal will be tougher to surpass, playing excellent hockey at 6-2-2 in their last 10.
Last night, Boston fell behind 2-1 in the first after David Krejci notched the first goal of the contest. Buffalo upped their lead to 3-1 after 2 periods, and held off a third period surge to survive with a 3-2 win.
The Bruins will play the New Jersey Devils tonight at the Prudential Center in New Jersey (Photo courtesy of Getty Images).
Although the play of the Sabres has been shaky since the Olympic break, they have been able to maintain the third-best record in the East, just holding off New Jersey by a point. Incidentally, Bruins will play the Devils tonight in a game were they desperately need points to keep their playoff hopes alive.
After picking up Ilya Kovalchuk, the Devils have increased their chances of going deep into the playoffs. They are also amongst the “big four” in the Eastern Conference. The Bruins may have to dig deep to find a way to skate off with points against New Jersey, who have not lost to the Bruins this season. Although hopes may not be high tonight, every game between these two clubs has been decided by one goal (one of which went to a shootout). In a situation where two points grants Bosto a three-way tie with Philly and the Habs, tonight’s game may be a good preview of the desperation so common in postseason hockey.
Outside looking in:
Other games that may affect the Bruins standings tonight include two matchups that involve four teams outside of eighth place. The Thrashers, just two points behind the Bruins, will face the Maple Leafs, the last place team in the conference, who are surprisingly 7-2-1 in their last ten contests. The other game Bruins fans may want to pay attention to is between the Islanders and Rangers. The Rangers sit four points behind the Bruins in the conference, and could be breathing down their necks tomorrow morning. One way or another, the Bruins need to leave New Jersey with points tonight in order to maintain some sense of security with regards to a longer hockey season in Beantown.
Tags: Boston Bruins, eastern conference, playoffs
