Bruins Look To Find Familiar Routine After Recent Losses

After a hot start, the Boston Bruins have hit a bump in the road, losing two straight games while allowing 12 goals in those contests.

The Detroit Red Wings and the New York Rangers each earned wins over Boston in a crazy travel stretch. After the Bruins defeated the Panthers in Florida on Wednesday, the team briefly returned home to face Detroit on Friday before heading to New York to face the Rangers on Saturday.

Could the rapid travel have disrupted the momentum for Boston?

In a new episode of the "Morning Bru" podcast, NESN analysts Billy Jaffe and Andrew Raycroft emphasized that the lack of a normal schedule could be having a rather notable impact on the Bruins.

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"It's absolutely affecting them," Raycroft explained. "They needed at least a pregame skate, let alone a practice just to get back into the routine and the swing. Having no feel, don't forget they didn't practice or morning skate before Florida. They haven't been on the ice without their game jerseys on since Monday. That's crazy. That's a really long time. That's hard for players to be able to have feel, touch and confidence."

With little practice time during a stretch of long-distance travel with three games in four days, Bruins players may just need a schedule reset and the ability to get back into a normal routine of the season. While every NHL team deals with inconvenient schedule stretches, Boston can readjust the flow of game action with balance.

"Other teams have to do it," Raycroft continued. "The schedule bit them this week, but it's absolutely a reason for their inability to get going in these games, for sure. As a player, for me, I'd be losing my mind had I not been able to get out there and get a few touches in."

The Bruins look to snap the two-game skid on Monday night when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET. You can catch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, on NESN.