Could this be the year the Bruins finally miss the playoffs?

[banks]

They have terrible depth, and yet you can't even call them top-heavy. Because the roster is thin at the top, too. Marchand and Pasta up front, a broken MacAvoy on D, and Swayman. That's not enough star power. And it's certainly not enough star power to overcome the terrible depth.

Their newest Lindholm is turning into a pumpkin. So who is their 3rd best forward? Charlie Coyle? He's on pace for like 17 points on the season. That's waiver wire production. The depth is real bad.

 

[Habssince89]

Another loss hurts but Lankinen stole the game. They used to win most of the time playing like that

reality is setting in

 

[ijuka]

End of the day, shutout 4 times and last in the league in goals for at American Thanksgiving is not good for any team looking to contend

Okay but they dominated the game.

I'd take dominating the game and getting goalied over getting a couple fluky bounces while getting dominated all day long.

 

[TheDoldrums]

So far this season it looks like both wild cards will come out of the Metro, they currently have 4 teams in the top 10. Outside of the Leafs the Atlantic has a bunch of middle of the pack teams. I think they will need to jump FLA or TB to get in.

Lots of time left to turn it around, but they do look like a team in turmoil with lots of holes.

The Metro has 4 good teams so it looks like they'll get both wild cards? They need 5 for that. Buffalo and Boston both ahead of any other Metro team atm

 

[McGarnagle]

Okay but they dominated the game.

I'd take dominating the game and getting goalied over getting a couple fluky bounces while getting dominated all day long.

I'd take the win, personally.

They have terrible depth, and yet you can't even call them top-heavy. Because the roster is thin at the top, too. Marchand and Pasta up front, a broken MacAvoy on D, and Swayman. That's not enough star power. And it's certainly not enough star power to overcome the terrible depth.

Their newest Lindholm is turning into a pumpkin. So who is their 3rd best forward? Charlie Coyle? He's on pace for like 17 points on the season. That's waiver wire production. The depth is real bad.

Justin Brazeau is their third best forward and that's a pretty sad fact

 

[TheBeerNerd]

Okay but they dominated the game.

Here's the thing: they didn't. Like I said, about half of their shots came more than halfway through the game, or roughly around when they got scored on for their first goal against. Neither team looked particularly great up until that point. I'm not sure if additional offensive talent could have gotten one back when their backs were against the wall, but it certainly wouldn't have hurt.

 

[Video Nasty]

Fewest wins through 23 games since Thornton last skated a game for them aka Crosby and Ovechkin’s rookie season

 

[Czechboy]

I hope not, I'm an Oiler fan that follows the B's. But they don't look good at all and Pasta had more support playing on shitty Czech teams. Krejci and Bergeron were never meaningfully replaced. I love Zacha but this is a 50 point 2C in a great year. Marchand is on his way down as well.

They need to pluck a forward in a trade somehow for their Top 6.

 

[I Hate Philadelphia]

Okay but they dominated the game.

I'd take dominating the game and getting goalied over getting a couple fluky bounces while getting dominated all day long.

They made a career third string goalie look like prime Dominik Hasek, they did not get "goalied".

Even though they had lots of shots and what statistics would consider "high danger chances", any Bruins fan watching who knows this team knew that we were never close to actually scoring.

 

[McGarnagle]

I hope not, I'm an Oiler fan that follows the B's. But they don't look good at all and Pasta had more support playing on shitty Czech teams. Krejci and Bergeron were never meaningfully replaced. I love Zacha but this is a 50 point 2C in a great year. Marchand is on his way down as well.

They need to pluck a forward in a trade somehow for their Top 6.

The worst part for me is that after a few years of never effectively replacing Krejci, they went out and spent money on the best center on the market to finally plug a hole in the top six, and Elias Lindholm has been a complete and utter waste of space.

We knew he was a little overrated but you have to pay to get free agents on the market, and at least we'd have a top six C that we desperately needed. But he hasn't even given us that. Coyle and Zacha gave us more last year. Lindholm looks like Carl Soderberg did in 2015, a center with good vision and enough strength on his skates and overmatches opponents as a #3 C who may produce in the top six if he has elite linemates to open up space. But despite having Pasta, he's done jack shit on the top line and PP. Honestly he's our biggest problem right now, followed by McAvoy.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Huh. When the Leafs blow a series it's just because they sucked.

When it happens every single year it’s no longer a fluke.

 

[HockeyVirus]

Halfway through the season it feels appropriate to reflect. At this point it is still certainly on the table. There is a real chance the Lightning, and one of Senators or Habs pass them by the end of the month.

 

[Ghost of Murph]

Halfway through the season it feels appropriate to reflect. At this point it is still certainly on the table. There is a real chance the Lightning, and one of Senators or Habs pass them by the end of the month.

Next 5 games the Bruins play TB twice and Ottawa once, with the other 2 against EDM and FLA. Boston could lose some serious ground over that stretch. Also, TB has 5 games in hand on the Bruins and Ottawa has 4. I think TB, even though are struggling recently, will for sure pass Boston. Ottawa who knows with Ullmark being week to week. His play really gave them a boost. You're right, it's still on the table whether or not the Bruins make the playoffs. A Metro team or two could also make the WC race interesting.

 

[BostonBob]

Halfway through the season it feels appropriate to reflect. At this point it is still certainly on the table. There is a real chance the Lightning, and one of Senators or Habs pass them by the end of the month.

Just discovered footage of HockeyVirus after every Bruins loss this season:

 

[Jumptheshark]

Halfway through the season it feels appropriate to reflect. At this point it is still certainly on the table. There is a real chance the Lightning, and one of Senators or Habs pass them by the end of the month.

My view has changed.

The battle for the last spot Eastern Division could be interesting

 

[Schennanigans]

The wildcard is gonna be crazy. I still say it stays basically the same as it is right now. I don’t see Boston missing or Tampa. That leaves just one spot that’s up for grabs between like 5-7 teams fighting for it now. I can’t see the Rangers free falling all year. I expect a big push from them eventually. So I expect them to be right in that race too.

 

[Divine]

They could but the Atlantic has been garbage this season.

The Leafs are leading the division on stretchers while the rest of the Atlantic comparing their losing streaks.

Go back to 1-8.

 

[Captain Controversy]

They are like a better version of what the flames currently are....
Mediocre with aging stars.
No #1 centre.
A couple talented wingers and mediocre defense.
Mediocre goaltending.
They can still make the playoffs but they aren't going anywhere past the first round.

 

[DitchMarner]

They are like a better version of what the flames currently are....
Mediocre with aging stars.
No #1 centre.
A couple talented wingers and mediocre defense.
Mediocre goaltending.
They can still make the playoffs but they aren't going anywhere past the first round.

Their goaltending should be good given Swayman's history and contract.

On paper, their defense looks quite solid (Lindholm, McAvoy, Carlo, Zadorov).

Up front, they're not that good. Pasta isn't carrying them offensively to the extent he did the last two years.

 

[TheDoldrums]

 

[BB79]

Good. They earned it

Never realized Skinner looks like James Holmes

 

[TheOrganist]

I guess it wasn’t the Coach. Shocker.

 

[VeteranPresence]

The Bs would be a much different team if they had a play creator in the #1C spot and one of Lindholm/Zacha as 2C. However Pasta has to create all of his opportunities which is generally impossible for a scoring winger.

Fix that and maybe find a dynamic guy for the second line and I think they’d be right back in the top 3 of the conference:

Zacha-X-Pasta
Marchand-Lindholm-X
Frederic-Coyle-Geekie
Koepke-Kastelic-Brazeau

 

[HockeyVirus]

All dynasties fall. Bruins felt unstoppable for a decade but father time is undefeated. I am not certain if they will miss at this point, but the writing is for sure on the wall with the next wave of playoff teams pushing and the teams in their primes as good as ever.

Bruins are starring down the barrel of a long rebuild.

 

[Terrier]

As a Bruins fan, I've had it good for the most part. My team has been out of the playoffs four times in twenty-two seasons, and hasn't entered a game as an eliminated team since 2007. I haven't suffered like the good folks in Buffalo. As for 2025, it will go to the last week, but they will likely fall short. The Bruins usually can't score, and when they do, their defensive structure, which had improved under Joe Sacco, falters(see last Saturday night). There are too many improved teams chasing them.