Bruins continue playoff push

The Boston Bruins have been on fire as of late, going 8-2 in their last 10 games. With all-around strong performances on all ends of the ice, the team has been really clicking. With 13 games remaining in the season and a stacked Atlantic division, the Bruins are currently third in their division, but only sit 2 points out of second place, making each remaining game critical to getting the best playoff seed possible. 

With playoffs coming in a few weeks, it will be interesting to see who the Bruins roll with as their starting goaltender. Both Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark have been playing fairly well lately, and the Bruins haven’t really had a #1 goalie all season. They’ve both played around the same amount of games, and lately they’ve been playing every other game. 

Erik Haula has molded into the second line center spot well, posting 10 points in his last 7 games, and 2 crucial goals in Saturday’s 5-2 win vs the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jake Debrusk, who just signed a two year extension, has also been hot lately, going on a five game point streak and scoring the OT winner vs the Blue Jackets on Monday.

While there are still a handful of games left in the regular season, the current playoff picture looks tough for the Bruins, but definitely doable. If the playoffs were to start today, the Bruins would have to play the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round. While the Bruins have had success against the Canes in the past, Carolina has been phenomenal this year, and as of right now they’re first in their division and third in the league, compared to the Bruins who are third in their division and seventh in the league. 

The Hurricanes definitely have the edge in goaltending, being led by Frederik Andersen, who has a .926% save percentage this year compared to Swayman’s .918% and Ullmark’s .910%. However, Andersen hasn’t had much success in the playoffs during his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs vs the Bruins in the playoffs, losing in 2018 and 2019, both in 7 games. The Hurricanes also have the better goal differential, with a +64 compared to the Bruins +33. 

It will definitely be a tight race to the finish line and playoff matchups can change by the day.  The Eastern Conference is stacked this year and playoffs will be exciting as usual.