Kalman: With Little Hope For Help, Bruins' Big Four Will Have To Carry Offense Into Playoffs
By Matt Kalman, CBS BOSTON
WILMINGTON – After two days of practice at Ristuccia Arena in preparation for their upcoming two-game road trip and the final five games of the regular season, the Bruins were asked often Thursday about comparisons between last year's failure to qualify for the playoffs and this year's struggle to avoid the same fate.
Of course, most of them don't want to draw any comparisons between the two scenarios because of how last season ended. When it comes to comparing last season to this season, the Bruins are right – the situations are different. At this point of the season last year the Bruins were on a five-game winning streak before they collapsed and lost the last three. Now they're in a stretch where they've lost six of seven and have to face Western Conference powers St. Louis and Chicago on the road this weekend.
When you factor in the historic run Ottawa made to overcome a double-digit-point deficit and beat out the Bruins for the postseason, missing the playoffs last season was more understandable than the Bruins missing them this season, if that's how this all plays out. Of course, the Bruins have already disappointed the masses just by making their task so difficult. All the points lost in games to Toronto, Vancouver, Columbus and Edmonton have combined with the Bruins' consistently horrid play on home ice to put them in their current position of leading Detroit by one point with five games to play.
The offense has rightfully taken the brunt of the blame for Boston's recent struggles. With 15 goals scored in their past nine games, the Bruins look like a team that bribed its way into the top five in the League in scoring rather than one that rightfully belongs there. Unlike past seasons, the Bruins offense hasn't been balanced. Whether you want to blame Jimmy Hayes' no goals in 15 games, Matt Beleskey's struggles or Landon Ferraro's inability to chip in the way many Boston fourth-liners have in the past, the Bruins have become almost solely reliant on Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, Loui Eriksson and David Krejci for their scoring.
So while it doesn't look like emergency call-ups Seth Griffith and Austin Czarnik (who was assigned to Providence before the Bruins left for the road) are going to be asked to chip in and there's seemingly no end in sight to the struggles of Boston's bottom-six forwards, it's going to be up to the Bruins' top six to make sure they don't miss the playoffs for a second straight season.
Maybe one bright spot from the Bruins' 2-1 loss to New Jersey on Tuesday was Marchand's goal, which was reminiscent of so many goals he's scored this season using creativity, speed and guile. He split the Devils' defense pair at the blue line and then beat the goaltender from in tight. It was Marchand's 35th goal of the season but his first in nine games.
Marchand sounded Thursday like a man ready to carry the Bruins on his shoulders if he has to.
"There's definitely some pressure there. The reality is you need guys to score to win the games. I think we're all feeling that extra little bit of pressure," he said. "We have to all come up big at the right time. But it's definitely there, the feel of it. But I like that, I like being in that situation and being relied upon. So hopefully, collectively we all come up big and make it happen."
Bergeron has one goal in his past 10 games. Eriksson is goal-less in his past six. Krejci has one goal in his past 18. These aren't just the Bruins' top four scorers this season, they're also players who've excelled in the postseason in the past. And anyone will tell you that teams in the position the Bruins are in have been playing playoff-caliber games for a couple of weeks. That intensity isn't going to where off and that's why the Bruins' best players can't wait around for secondary scoring or flawless goaltending from Tuukka Rask. The Bruins' best players have to seize the day (or the next eight days).
"Sometimes less is more," Krejci said. "So kind of try to keep it simple. When there's a lay to be made then you have to make the play. That's what good players do. And special teams, on power plays, that's big. So I just kind of keep the same mode."
Many are circling the Bruins' game against the Red Wings on Thursday because of its potential to be the deciding factor in this race. At the risk of being Debbie Downer, it has to be pointed out that the Red Wings can eliminate the Bruins before then if the Bruins don't start accumulating points in their next three games before they host Detroit.
The Bruins are a 23-man team that dresses 20 players night, but at this point their survival might be the responsibility of just four players.
Matt Kalman covers the Bruins for CBSBoston.com and also contributes to NHL.com and several other media outlets. Follow him on Twitter @TheBruinsBlog.
