The Boston Bruins’ regular season is nearly over, and the team is beginning to focus on the NHL playoffs. With a playoff spot already clinched, the Bruins are fighting for a better position in the standings in the last weeks of the season to earn a better seed.
After a strong start to the season in the early months, the Bruins have since slowed down and are in close contention with their arch rivals the Montreal Canadians for the number two seed in the playoffs. Gaining the number two seed in the playoffs would be enormous for the Bruins, as it would guarantee them home ice advantage for the first two rounds.
A main concern for the Bruins this season has been the disappointing play from winger Milan Lucic. Lucic, who is a former thirty goal scorer currently only has six goals total and no goals on the power play. The team deeply misses Lucic’s goal scoring and physical toughness that made him a great player in past seasons. Coach Claude Julien has moved Lucic around to several different lines, but nothing has seemed to help that winger regain his dominance on the ice.  Lucic will look to improve in the playoffs, when the Bruins will desperately need his ability to score and be an enforcer on the ice by setting the tone physically.
A positive aspect of the Bruins this season has been their goaltending. Tuukka Rask has done an outstanding job of taking over for Tim Thomas, who won both the Conn Smythe and Vezina trophies.
As the primary goaltender, Rask has managed to keep the Bruins amongst the hardest teams to score on in the league. Currently, Rask has a .927 save percentage and a 2.02 goals against average.
Backup goaltender Anton Khudobin has been a surprising bright spot for the Bruins this season, and he has proven reliable when Tuukka Rask needs a game off. In his first full season with the Bruins, Khudobin has posted a 2.20 goals against average, an 8-3-1 record and a .925 goals against average.
Bruins fans can feel confident that if Rask suffers an injury and is not able to play, Khudobin can step in and be just as productive in net. Goaltending is extremely important in the playoffs, and the team with the best goaltender often wins the Stanley Cup.
The Bruins have the talent to go deep into the NHL playoffs, and potentially win their second Stanley Cup in three seasons. Veteran leadership from players such as Jaromir Jagr, Zdeno Chara, and Patrice Bergeron will be key to the team’s success in the playoffs. These players must lead by example and use their experience to get through tough situations that will test the team.
The Bruins’ power play, which has been amongst the worst in the NHL all season, must improve in the playoffs. With the passionate fans of Boston behind them, the Bruins should be able to find the motivation necessary to live up to their potential and set out on another championship run.