On Wednesday night, the B's have a date with the New York Islanders, the team who held onto the worst position in the Eastern Conference up until the Florida Panthers tanked and outdid them for the lowly piece of real estate.
The Senators, who come to town on Saturday, started the 2010-2011 season off strong, but after a fire sale at the trade deadline, they, too find themselves among the bottom feeders.
On Sunday, the Bruins will travel to the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., to wrap up the regular season against one of the hottest teams in the NHL from January to March. However, a loss to Montreal on Saturday put the final nail in the coffin for the Devils and their season will come to an end when the final horn sounds in their game against the B’s.
Why, you may ask, would a Bruins fan want to tune in and watch these next three games?
Here are three reasons why the next three games are worth watching.
1. The Bruins have a game in hand on the Capitals and Flyers, the top two teams, respectively, in the Eastern Conference. With a possible six points up for grabs this week, the B’s can still grab the second slot — or even the top spot, which would guarantee home ice throughout the playoffs. The Caps have a home-and-home with the Panthers April 6 and April 9 while the Flyers take on the Sabres April 8 and the Isles April 9. Playoff positioning will not be determined until the final hour of the season, which means the Bruins still have time to improve their postseason position.
2. Jobs are on the line. Claude Julien has not set his lineup yet for the postseason. Daniel Paille has made a strong case for himself in the past two games, after spending an uncharacteristic amount of time in the press box this season as a healthy scratch. His speed and pressure on opposing defenseman and goaltenders makes him a valuable asset for Boston — just ask Henrik Lundqvist. However, had the Bruins played their game for the entire 60 minutes on Monday in New York, Paille’s efforts wouldn’t have gone to the wayside. Tyler Seguin, Stephen Kampfer, Michael Ryder and Shane Hnidy will also be fighting for Julien’s eye. In the next three games, you will certainly see these players' best efforts, which will raise the level of play of their teammates in the process.
3. The Bruins will be fine-tuning the issues that have haunted the team down the stretch. The power play, defensive responsibility and goal scoring have all been inconsistent. The team will be using these final regular season games against opponents hoping to play the spoiler role as a measuring stick for the postseason. Come next week, mistakes are just not allowed.
If you are a Boston Bruins fan, the best is yet to come. But the next three games will be the preview to what hockey fans in New England are hoping will be a very, very long postseason.
