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Goucher: Bruins Need To Be Hungrier Offensively To Make Playoffs

BOSTON (CBS) --- Only a couple of weeks ago, the Bruins were in prime position to cruise into the postseason.

Ah, how times have changed. A March meltdown has left the team fighting for the right to play into late April, and everyone is searching for the formula to get there.

Bruins play-by-play announcer Dave Goucher joined Toucher & Rich on Thursday morning to discuss what lies ahead as the team enters the final stretch of the regular season as well as what adjustments he believes needs to be made in order to earn a playoff spot.

"They've wasted a lot here recently," said Goucher. "If you look at six losses all in regulation in their last seven games, that's 14 points up for grabs and they've managed to get two in their last seven games. Where they had a comfortable lead for a playoff spot two, three weeks ago, that's all vanished now."

On Tuesday night in New Jersey, Boston lost 2-1 even after out-shooting the Devils 40-15. Despite high shot totals, Goucher says that the corresponding lack of scoring is no coincidence.

"Their inability to score goals has killed them," said Goucher. "You can make an argument, Rich, that they have to be hungrier to score goals. They said after the game that game should've been over in the first period."

Goucher cited the team's effort in the offensive zone as something needing drastic improvement in order to score more goals. It has become far too common to see a shot followed up by a weak effort to go get the puck and put it back on net.

"They've had a lot of one-and-done's recently, one shot and out," noted Goucher. "The inability to get to the net and get rebounds."

Unfortunately, all of this feels very similar to last year to the Bruins play-by-play man.

"They said a lot of the right things last year down the stretch. They kept talking about it but they never actually got it done."

Hopefully for the Bruins, history won't repeat itself. It's time to stop saying all the right things, and to start doing them.

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