Considering the Bruins’ tenuous position in the Eastern Conference playoff bracket and the number of long-time DNQs finally making their postseason push, it is hard to see any game in the near future that isn’t a big one for the Bruins.
But Saturday’s tilt against the Senators in Ottawa is certainly pivotal.
Just one point behind the B’s with two games in hand, the Sens are one of several teams that have that fresh, up-and-coming team vibe. They’ve not graced the postseason since 2017 and, after being one of the more porous teams in the league during their time in hockey Siberia, the Sens are winning by keeping the puck out of their net (ranked 7th in the league in goals against average at 2.72.).
Knocking on the door along with Ottawa are perennial Atlantic Division also-rans Montreal and Detroit. Exciting times for those great hockey cities. Also in the Eastern Conference mix are the Columbus Blue Jackets, who hopped over the B’s in the standings on Thursday and are everyone’s sentimental favorite in this surprise run after the Johnny Gaudreau tragedy last summer.
That’s a lot teams the B’s must contend with, but coach Joe Sacco said it’s imperative that the team stays focused on the day-to-day process and not any outside narratives.
“I don’t think that we can look at it like we’re disappointed at the position we’re in and other teams are excited of the position that they’re in,” said Sacco on Friday before the B’s took off for the Canadian capital. “This is a tough league and there’s a lot of parity in the league right now, especially in the Eastern Conference. So for us, we don’t look at it like that. We’re in a position that we put ourselves in and it’s our job, our responsibility to keep forging ahead and making sure we’re executing at high level so that we give ourselves a chance. It’s too much to look ahead. We have Ottawa coming up on Saturday. It’s a big game. It’s another divisional game for our group and we’re going to focus on the things we need to do as a group to try and beat these guys. That’ll be part of our game plan and then we’re off towards the next game. I just don’t want us to say ‘hey, this team’s behind us, this team’s in front of us.’ Because it’s too much to look at right now.”
Meanwhile, the Bruins, despite two straight wins against divisional opponents Tampa Bay and Florida, are grappling with the hard realities of their situation. After eight straight seasons in the postseason, disappointing early returns had team president Cam Neely stating on Wednesday that the club has to proceed with “two paths” in mind, one as buyers and the other path being a retool at the trade deadline.
Perhaps Neely’s honest assessment can serve as a motivating challenge to the players. But it sure looks like it’s going to be difficult to hold off these teams who, thanks to years of poor play, are stocked with young blue bloods from the draft.
It’s been a while since a playoff berth has not been a given for the B’s, who are in the eighth and final playoff spot.
“You can never forget that it’s extremely hard in this league,” said captain Brad Marchand. “You can’t get caught up in thinking that where you place in the standings is the be all and end all. At the end of the day, any team in the playoffs can win and you just have to get in there. But when you’re at the bottom, you open the door for teams catching you and pushing you out. That’s what you kind of worry about. But other than that, it doesn’t matter where you place as long as you get to the dance. It’s something we need to be aware of. There’s a lot of teams pushing in that group right now, but we just have to continue to play our game.”
Kastelic return?
While Sacco did not definitively rule him in for the Ottawa game, Mark Kastelic appears ready to make his return to the lineup to play his old team, barring any setbacks from the head injury he suffered in Tampa on Jan. 9. He went through Friday’s full practice session without any immediate ill effects.
“It would be really special,” said Kastelic of his possible first game in Ottawa. “You don’t want to rush these things but that was kind of in the back of my mind. I was just trying feel as best as I could for that. If I get in (Saturday) I’ll be really excited to bee back in Ottawa and just be back with the boys.”
Loose pucks
The B’s did not score on either of their power plays in the their win over Tampa last Tuesday. Not exactly a news flash these days. But on the first advantage, it was notable that on one zone entry David Pastrnak gained the blue line and then chipped it past the defenders.
It was a simple play, but not one highly skilled players like Pastrnak like to make. It can be hard to convince them to take the road of least resistance.
“These guys are your best players and they want to make plays, especially when they’re 5-on-4 on the ice. They have an extra body. But teams do a good job,” said Sacco. “They do a really good job. We just have to be smart about it. We want our guys to make plays and execute plays off the entry – when it’s there. When it’s not there, they’re good players. They need to read the ice that’s in front of them and chip it behind. Is it difficult? Yeah, sometimes it is. Yeah. But it’s our job obviously to make sure that we’re giving them the necessary information to succeed on the power play and then they have to go out and execute it.” ... Cole Koepke, who took a head shot from Tampa’s Darren Haddysh on Tuesday, remained out of practice and is not available for Saturday.