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Bruins Can't Get Job Done In Florida, Now Need Divine Intervention To Make Postseason

BOSTON (CBS) - The Bruins lost 4-2 in Florida Thursday night, sunken by three Panthers goals in the third period.

With the loss the Bruins dropped to ninth place in the Eastern Conference with just one game remaining in the regular season, but earning a postseason berth is now entirely out of their hands -- they'll need some help along the way.

This now marks two games in a row where the Bruins were basically in a must-win situation and they came out and spit the bit, which begs the question: is it lack of want or lack of skill?

After the game, 98.5 The Sports Hub's Rich Keefe was joined by Dave Goucher and Bob Beers of the Bruins Radio Network to help provide a recap.

"I just think it's a lack of being able to get the job done. I would never question that they don't want to get in the playoffs. I think every guy in that locker room wants to succeed and wants to win, and wants to get into the postseason -- it's the best time of the year. But they have not been able to do the job when they've needed to, and it hasn't just been these last two games," said Goucher.

"You can point to countless games this season where they've had opportunities to bury teams; they had an opportunity to bury Ottawa last month and leave them in the dust, and they really had an opportunity to bury this Florida team a few weeks ago. You can scoreboard watch every night, but if you don't win your own games it doesn't matter."

It's been hard to figure out this Bruins team through 81 games, but it's their inconsistency that defines them.

"They've been madly inconsistent all year long. You win five games in a row and then you lose six games in a row. Now they've lost two in a row after winning five in a row. It's been that way all season long," said Bob Beers. "They patch up the holes, and then they get better and look like they're going on a good run, things are going to be okay, and then it doesn't last. The true colors of a long season come out."

There's still a way that Boston makes the playoffs, but they're going to need a lot of assistance from other teams. By the time Boston takes the ice Saturday night, it may already be over for them.

The Bruins (95 points) hope Ottawa (97 points) loses in regulation at Philadelphia tomorrow afternoon, or the Penguins (96 points) to get one point or less in their final two games (Friday vs. Islanders, Saturday at Sabres). And they'll need to beat the Lightning in Tampa Bay, which is no sure bet either.

"They still have a chance -- it's an outside chance -- but they still have a chance going into Saturday," added Beers. "These last two games have been devastating and disturbing to see the way they lose both of these games -- especially [in Washington]. This loss bugs me, but that one was really tough to take."

Listen below:

Hear every game of the 2014-15 Boston Bruins season on 98.5 The Sports Hub — the flagship station of the Boston Bruins. Pregame coverage with Dave Goucher and Bob Beers begins 30 minutes prior to every game!

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