Bruins DieHard: B's Must Maintain Consistency After Solid Home Stand
BOSTON (CBS) -- In what could have been, and almost was, essentially the end of the season, the Bruins entered this past three-game home stand on the brink of disaster.
Having failed miserably once again in a shootout on Thursday against the Calgary Flames, the Bruins sat seconds away from losing the first of back-to-back matinees to the Philadelphia Flyers. But they were rescued by a power-play, pulled-goalie tally and an overtime goal, both by Brad Marchand, which gave the Bruins three of a possible four points prior to the visit from the dangerous and talented Detroit Red Wings on Sunday afternoon.
The Bruins promptly came out and dispatched Detroit and put more distance between them and the ever-creeping-up Florida Panthers and the aforementioned Flyers.
It certainly hasn't been easy for the Bruins. Coming out of the trade deadline acquiring Brett Connolly for draft picks and, in my mind, ridding themselves of Jordan Caron for veteran Maxime Talbot, the fandom had many questions. Among them: Why dpes Peter Chiarelli still has a job? Will he have a job come April? Likewise, should Boston fail to qualify to play in extra time at the NHL season's end, will Claude Julien?
After losing six in a row, Boston has now been victorious in five of their last seven. But the road ahead for the Bruins is paved with potholes just like the ones we have on the streets of Boston. The Black and Gold have 11 of their remaining 17 games away from TD Garden and their road record is a mediocre 13-12-5. Nine of those games are against playoff teams and three are against the Florida Panthers, who trail Boston by four points for that final wild-card spot.
We never know what to expect from this team lately, but they had better get their act together because time is running out and they have foes, hot on their tail.
Ric Duarte has covered hockey and the Bruins for various media outlets since 1986. You can follow Ric at BruinsDieHard.com and on Twitter @bruins_diehard.
