That’s always the cliche when a team controls its ability to get in — or be left to only look in — when playoff time rolls around. Cliche, yes, but true.
Bruins vice president Cam Neely reminded us of that on SportsDesk on Tuesday night. While Neely admitted to scoreboard watching from his current vantage point, he told us, “From a player’s perspective, they should just be focused on what they need to do.”
In the ultra-tight Eastern Conference playoff race, the Bruins only need to do this: win. It doesn’t matter what anyone else does. If they win, they are in. It is that simple. Ah, the beauty of controlling one’s own destiny.It is notable that the Bruins will be playing without the help of defenseman Dennis Seidenberg. As recently as Tuesday, head coach Claude Julien said Seidenberg was day-to-day, but just one day later, the Bruins announced Seidenberg had surgery on a tendon in his left arm and will miss eight weeks. That loss hurts. Seidenberg has been a big boost for this team since slipping on the Boston sweater at the trade deadline, averaging 23 minutes of ice time with two goals and seven assists in 17 games.
It’s not just Seidenberg who’s missing in action. You might as well make a list. Start with Seidenberg, add Mark Stuart — who also needed surgery and will miss at least two weeks — and tack on Andrew Ference, who’s sitting with a sports hernia.
While we’re at it, their captain, Zdeno Chara, has a broken nose. Yes, Julien expects him on the ice. But even Neely admitted he didn’t like playing with a mask on in his days — and Chara could need the protection of one.
Goaltending has emerged as a strength for Boston, with Tuukka Rask leading the league in goals-against average and save percentage. And how many times have we seen a goalie stand on his head to lead a team through a solid playoff run?
But the list of wounded defensemen won’t make the goaltender’s job any easier. The Bruins’ biggest challenge is clear: You can’t win a hockey game just by shutting out the other team. The Bruins have to score.
Neely told us he has seen an overall improvement from this club since its flat, passionless play against the Penguins on March 18. He called that game a turning point, saying, “There were times where players maybe were not feeling comfortable that they can step up and say something because of how long they have been in the league. … Anyone who was a leader in pee-wee, juniors and the minors can be a leader in the National Hockey League, too.”
Three games remain. None will be a walk in the park. Playoff-bound Buffalo visits Boston on Thursday night, and the Bruins might just find themselves up against Ryan Miller again.
The Bruins have had some success against the Sabres, but will need to add to it. Same goes for Saturday, with the Hurricanes in town. And then it’s another date with Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals in D.C.
Leadership? Yes, the Bruins will certainly need that throughout the final four days of the regular season. This time, it has nothing to do with luck. It has to do with playing hard and winning.
