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I’d call it the million-dollar question, but that’d be selling it short. Given the potential fallout such a scenario holds for the Boston Bruins, it’s worth more. That question, of course, is a simple one: Will the Boston Bruins make the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs? And truthfully, I have to say that I have absolutely no idea. In fact, I don’t have a damn clue. (Those that act like they have any clue how this will play out, by the way, are liars and you don’t need that kind of nonsense in your life. Put ‘em on that dunzo list.)
As it stands right now, the Bruins are still in the playoff picture, holding a one-point edge over the Ottawa Senators for that eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. That could change by the end of the night, though, with the Senators in action against the San Jose Sharks (a team with losses in three of their last four games). And even if they fall short on Monday night, the Sens will still have one game in hand over the Black and Gold, creating an undeniable sense of dread when it comes to the B’s, if only because they’re simply losing the ability to control their own springtime destiny.
Per Sportsclubstats.com, Boston’s chance of making the postseason is now down to 38.9%. It went down nearly 10% by way of Sunday’s loss in Tampa Bay, And if Ottawa wins tonight’s game -- in regulation, overtime or in the shootout -- Boston’s chances go down at least another 4.0%. To put how damning the Bruins’ current five-game slide has been into perspective, that potential end-of-the-night 34% figure is a 50% hit from where it was at less than two weeks ago.
As Doc said in Back to the Future, if my calculations are correct, you’re gonna see some serious [stuff].
But could the Bruins overcome those odds? Of course. If the Sens could go on a brief losing streak of sorts over the next week or so and the Black and Gold can string some wins together, no doubt.
At the same time, though, there’s nothing in the B’s game that really gives you any sort of faith that they have the mental wherewithal to put that together. And in a tough week that includes head-to-heads with the Anaheim Ducks and N.Y. Rangers, two of the league’s best teams this year, your outlook seems undeniably bleak given the B’s nightmarish inability to finish on a consistent basis along with the uncertainty of top-tier talents David Krejci and Dougie Hamilton.
The Bruins have been here before, though. They relied on late-season pushes in both 2008 and 2010 to propel themselves into playoff berths (they were the eight seed in ‘08, the six in ‘10), and both times came through with the goal, save, or win needed to extend their year beyond the normal 82.
Yet, banking on the past in a year that’s seen almost every lengthy win streak (or any positive streak) against a team snapped, seems rather silly at this point. But it might be the only thing left to put your faith in when it comes a seven-year playoff streak that seems very much in jeopardy.
Ty Anderson has been covering the Boston Bruins for HockeyBuzz.com since 2010, is a member of the Pro Hockey Writers Association's Boston Chapter, and can be contacted on Twitter, or emailed at Ty.AndersonHB[at]gmail.com