The Boston Bruins were as good as dead. With just 15 seconds to play, the Bruins trailed the resurgent Philadelphia Flyers 2-1. The Flyers were right on their tail for the final Eastern Conference playoff berth. But much like they did against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Bruins pulled themselves together for a remarkable rally. Brad Marchand tied the game for Boston at the 19:45 mark on a highly controversial power play and then won the game in overtime with 1:08 remaining, in what may go down as the turning point of the Bruins’ and Flyers’ respective seasons.
The following day, the Bruins took apart the Detroit Red Wings 5-3 in a dominant performance that reminded everyone of their potential come playoff time. It was a bad day for Mike Babcock, head coach of the Red Wings, who no doubt had a sleepless night after numerous structure and systems breakdowns that Boston converted into goals.
Boston had been through a horrible week with general manager Peter Chiarelli catching heat for a lack of a major trade, coupled with what looked like an aging Boston team. Boston head coach Claude Julien was also under fire. The sweep of their weekend homestand will call off the dogs, at least for now, as Boston has a solid four-point lead over the Florida Panthers for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.
Panthers and Flyers Exposed as Pretenders
The Florida Panthers could only manage a split in the first six games of their season-defining seven game home stand and failed to gain ground when the Bruins were slumping. The Panthers simply lack the secondary scoring depth necessary to make a serious playoff run. With both goaltenders Roberto Luongo and Al Montoya out with injuries, the Cats playoff prospects are looking bleak.
The Philadelphia Flyers inability to finish off the Bruins with 15 seconds to go is indicative of their status as a pretender. The Flyers’ lack of defensive depth has been a problem all year. General Manager Ron Hextall is methodically stockpiling a young quality defensive corps and draft picks for additional depth. The days of the Flyers chasing their tail with quick fixes are over. While that does not do Flyers fans any good for the present, the future will be bright with Hextall’s well-planned buildout.
Preds Slump
The Nashville Predators have fallen from their perch as the top team in the NHL with a rather alarming six-game losing streak. During the streak the Preds have failed to crack three goals in any of the games and were held to one goal in three of the losses. Goaltender Pekka Rinne, arguably the best in the NHL, has slumped badly with a .889 save percentage in his last five games. Having troubled Mike Ribeiro and rookie Filip Forsberg as their top two centers is cause for pause, and the Predators lack of playoff experience is also a growing concern.
Gutless Leafs Mail it in on HNIC
Saturday night’s Hockey Night in Canada audience saw one of the most disgraceful performances in recent memory when the St. Louis Blues took apart the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-1. Leafs head coach Peter Horachek called the team out after the game for its lack of effort. Nazem Kadri responded by showing up late for a team meeting the next day. The nauseating sense of entitlement that began with Phil Kessel bragging about not skating or staying in shape over the summer continues in Toronto.
Kings Slump Again
The Los Angeles Kings have lost four out of their last six games to fall two points behind the Calgary Flames for the final Western Conference playoff spot. The Kings have again come up dry on offense with two goals or less in six out of their last eight games.
