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

[mobilus]

Florida was the worst matchup possible for them in the east. Late in the year there was a game against Pittsburgh where they came back late in the third to tie and win in OT, and if they threw that game the Penguins make the playoffs instead of Florida.

But primarily it was because Ullmark was badly injured and Monty kept him in there to get blown out. Bergeron also insisted on playing a meaningless game 82 in Montreal and ruptured a disc in his back. And the whole team came down with the flu before game 1. Just a perfect storm of everything that could go wrong going wrong.

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

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

A lot of fans don't want to admit that luck plays a massive role in who wins the cup unfortunately

eaxctly. hockey isnt chess there is luck involved.

 

[Ratsreign]

Ullmark put up a season that wouldn't have looked out of place on Prime Hasek's resume.

They were never that much better than the Panthers.

Watching their regular season matchups that season pointed to a close series.

 

[BB79]

That's the cruelty of sport. You can lose in round 1 and could have been so much as a shot away from a Stanley Cup and you'd never know.

It just reinforces the fact that the regular season really doesn't mean jack shit, so as long as you get into the playoffs when it's over. There's a reason the playoffs are referred to as the second season. Low seeds can go all the way to the Final, too. But on the contrary, they seldom win it all- 91 North Stars, 99 Sabres, 06 Oilers are examples.

So don't be top dog or one of the bottom seeds and you're good

 

[BKarchitect]

I may be alone here and no, I don’t think Sacco is a great head coach or anything - I mean things appear dire right now…but o wouldn’t write them off yet.

Montgomery is a good coach but is the kind of guy with a bit of an expiration date, IMO.

There’s no way their star at each level - Pastrnak, McAvoy and Swayman - are going to continue to be as mediocre as they’ve been all year. Pasta, Marchand, Zacha and Lindholm are all shooting in the single digit percents. There is no way that is going to continue. Most of the guys who are underperforming would still be welcome on a boatload of other contenders (Coyle, Carlo, Frederic, etc).

I think there are underperforming guys and maybe the team leans a bit too much into having to be the “balanced, gritty, two-way” style without enough offensive fulcrums outside Pasta. But I don’t see a lot of actual deadwood or bad players. I think outside of some of the new depth guys, the locker room got a bit stale.

I think there is still a perfectly good team here. Definitely a playoff team. I think a change of voice in the locker room is a logical place to start. IMO it’s way to early to write the Bruins out of the playoffs.

 

[HockeyVirus]

Shutout again tonight. They are definitely in trouble right now.

 

[PaulD]

Watching their regular season matchups that season pointed to a close series.

January on Panther were second best team in the league I believe.
Beat Bruins in 7 games OT. Smoked the leafs in 5. Swept the Canes. Lost to Knights. Won the cup the next season.
That's 7 of 8 rounds.

 

[PaulD]

I may be alone here and no, I don’t think Sacco is a great head coach or anything - I mean things appear dire right now…but o wouldn’t write them off yet.

Montgomery is a good coach but is the kind of guy with a bit of an expiration date, IMO.

There’s no way their star at each level - Pastrnak, McAvoy and Swayman - are going to continue to be as mediocre as they’ve been all year. Pasta, Marchand, Zacha and Lindholm are all shooting in the single digit percents. There is no way that is going to continue. Most of the guys who are underperforming would still be welcome on a boatload of other contenders (Coyle, Carlo, Frederic, etc).

I think there are underperforming guys and maybe the team leans a bit too much into having to be the “balanced, gritty, two-way” style without enough offensive fulcrums outside Pasta. But I don’t see a lot of actual deadwood or bad players. I think outside of some of the new depth guys, the locker room got a bit stale.

I think there is still a perfectly good team here. Definitely a playoff team. I think a change of voice in the locker room is a logical place to start. IMO it’s way to early to write the Bruins out of the playoffs.

March will.get his game and fitness going smoothly again. Pasta will start scoring.
But Mac has been brutal and stupid for much longer than this season. Panthers broke him in play offs 2023. We've seen his plummet since then.

 

[scoopscj]

I think they make it. Watched them lose to the Canucks but dominate. I think they can outlast the Senators, Islanders, and possibly the Sabres for a spot in the playoffs. Too much talent there to miss.

 

[Regal]

Shutout again tonight. They are definitely in trouble right now.

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

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Outside of the top 3 teams it’s still a weak division. I could see them right on the bubble.

 

[LeafalCrusader]

Next 6 games they play

NYI
Pittsburgh
Montreal
Detroit
Chicago
Philly

Pretty favorable schedule. Think they go on a run and get back on track. But we'll see.

 

[NVious]

It's so Bruover

 

[ijuka]

People are dooming for Bruins after that last game? Looked great to me.

 

[BlackAdam]

Surely this was a well convincing win for the Bruins...

 

[Sniper99]

What happened was they had them at 3-1 the panthers were, as a legendary man once said, who we all thought they were, and they let them off the hook!

That happened in the..... Playoffs????!! Dont talk about Playoffs!! Playoffs????

 

[HockeyVirus]

People are dooming for Bruins after that last game? Looked great to me.

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

 

[TheBeerNerd]

The problem is still a complete lack of scoring talent outside of Pasta. And half of those 32 SOGs came more than halfway through the game. That smacks of a team with more desperation than offense.

 

[tanti9]

Watching the game last night vs the Canucks (i am a Canucks fan) and Lank stole the game for Vancouver. Let's be honest, this will happen a few times throughout the year, when you outplay someone but still lose. One thing that can hurt Boston's playoff chances is their finishing ability, I mean outside of Pasta they do not have a great finisher, I liked Lindholm last night but view him as a 3rd line shutdown center, albeit a top end one.

 

[The Hockey Tonk Man]

The problem is still a complete lack of scoring talent outside of Pasta. And half of those 32 SOGs came more than halfway through the game. That smacks of a team with more desperation than offense.

Yup. Morgan Geekie is on Pasta's wing. That's ridiculous for your best player to be handcuffed like that.

Powerplay is a serious mess. 31st in the league and still running the same units that do nothing over and over. News flash, it sucks. Switch it up fellas.

Everyone is really good at shooting at the goalies chest though.

 

[Score08]

As I said before, yes , yes it is. Don Sweeney/Cam Neely ruined this team. The good ole boy network has run its course in Boston. Cut the C off 63 chest and give it to the stick guy, fire the entire hockey ops department, and fire this shitbag team straight into the sun. This team is an embarrassment to the bruins hockey legacy. Sackless bunch of man babies.

 

[BB79]

March will.get his game and fitness going smoothly again. Pasta will start scoring.
But Mac has been brutal and stupid for much longer than this season. Panthers broke him in play offs 2023. We've seen his plummet since then.

Time to ship him out. I wouldn't mind entertaining offers for Coyle and Freddy too

 

[Stickpucker]

If they keep scoring 0 goals I'm pretty sure their offs of missing the playoffs will be as large as Chara.

 

[Kalus]

After the deals they signed this summer, I realized they have 2 to 3 playoff caliber years left. They still have time to turn it around this year. But in a few years, they will have too many guys in their mid 30s with high cap hits and years left, McAvoy and Pasta entering their 30s and Swayman right behind, and as of now, no high end prospects and they will be good enough that they won’t be picking high in the first round. Not looking good.

 

[BCNate]

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.