Losers in six of their last seven, the Boston Bruins need to make a move. That move, believe it or not, is not the Thursday transaction that saw the Bruins officially place Kevan Miller (shoulder) on injured reserve and call winger Brian Ferlin up from the Providence Bruins, either. (Shocker, I know.)
But it’s a position that the Black and Gold, legitimate Stanley Cup contenders since 2009 now, are far from accustomed to dealing out of. The Bruins, two-time Stanley Cup finalists since 2011, are getting older. They have countless free agents -- both restricted and unrestricted -- to deal with at the end of the season, whether that’s in April, May, or June. They’re operating within a cap-crunch that’s handcuffed them since their season ended in the second-round of the postseason last May. A mess of a financial situation that doesn’t appear to show signs of getting better before the puck drops on the 2015-16 season, either, by the way.
That’s just in terms of their contracts, too.
On the ice, the Bruins have massively underachieved, entering their off day with a slim three-point lead on the Florida Panthers for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference (the Panthers are in action tonight, too, so that lead could be down to a single point by the end of the night). Much of that is, obviously, due to the offseason loss of top-line winger Jarome Iginla, top-pairing (or top-four at the very least) defenseman Johnny Boychuk, and lack of a true middle pairing partner for Dennis Seidenberg.
Still, above all else, with a week and a half until the Mar. 2 NHL Trade Deadline, the question on everybody’s mind seems simple (but is anything but when you sit down and think about it): Buy or sell?
After ugly road losses to Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton, it’s easy to say sell. Sell everything. Heck, ask around the Hub and somebody will probably tell you that the Bruins should sell Blades if somebody wants to send a first-round pick for him (nobody waves a flag quite like him come playoff time. Dude’s clutch).
But in an Eastern Conference without a true powerhouse, the Bruins could still make a deep playoff run. I understand the lunacy that seemingly comes with such a statement, especially on the heels of a 12-round shootout in which the B’s went 0-for-12 against the Edmonton Oilers, but it’s true.
The top contenders for the top-two spots in the Eastern Conference, you’d say, are the New York Islanders (79 points), Montreal Canadiens (79 points), Tampa Bay Lightning (78 points), and maybe the Detroit Red Wings (74 points). You could maybe throw the New York Rangers (74 points) and Washington Capitals (74 points) into the mix. And against most of these teams, the Bruins match up considerably well.
The Bruins took two of three against the Isles, have taken two of three against Detroit, took the Bolts down in their one 2014-15 showdown to date, have split with the Rangers, are 0-for-1 against the Caps, and were swept in their four-game season series with the Habs. Add it all up, and the Black and Gold have won six-of-14 against the East’s best (in theory). Take out the Montreal series and that figure becomes 6-4.
In essence, the B’s seem capable of hanging with all but one potential first-round opponent.
There are two real comparables in terms of years past for the Black and Gold here, too.
In 2010, which is widely and undeniably regarded as the worst year of B’s hockey throughout Claude Julien’s tenure as Boston’s benchboss, the Bruins were 23-22-11 (59 points) at the 57-game mark. This year, they’re 28-20-9 (65 points) at that point. That deadline, the Bruins made what were best described as lateral moves, sending Derek Morris to Phoenix, while acquiring Dennis Seidenberg in a separate deal. And though Seidenberg missed the 2010 postseason, that Bruins drew a favorable first-round favorable matchup (against the three-seed Buffalo Sabres), and came within one win of the Eastern Conference Finals. In 2012, the Bruins were considered a legitimate favorite to repeat as Cup champions. But instead, the matchups benefitted the New Jersey Devils, who somehow made it to the Stanley Cup Final. For what it’s worth, the East is probably the most wide open it’s been since that 2011-12 season, too.
If the matchups favor you, you have the goaltender and experience to make another run. And deep down, part of the Black and Gold’s frustration is a result of simply knowing that, but not executing.
Still, the Bruins need to make a move. Whether that’s a series of lateral hockey trades (like 2010), or a simple load up option like in 2014, 2013, and basically every other year, the Bruins need to find a way to inject some life and added firepower into a Boston offense that sits 22nd in the entire league.
At least if they’re thinking about painting some blue decals on Garden ice well into springtime, that is.
Subban set for first NHL start
After almost getting the start on Wednesday night in Edmonton, Boston coach Claude Julien wasted no time in confirming that 21-year-old goaltending prospect Malcolm Subban will get the nod in the crease for tonight’s showdown with the St. Louis Blues. There are obvious (and potentially game-changing) differences in giving Subban a start against the Oilers compared to one against a Blues club that’s won 21-of-29 at home, but with a Sunday showdown with the Blackhawks on deck, this was realistically the Bruins’ lone chance to get Subban some action on this five-game road swing.
So, it’s NHL game No. 1 for the former first-round pick (25th overall in 2012), and the middle of the three drafted Subban (P.K. is in Montreal, while Jordan was drafted by the Canucks in 2013) brothers.
The 6-foot-2 Subban is a ridiculously athletic netminder with a great deal of raw potential, and takes to the ice with a 10-10-3 record and .920 save percentage for the Providence Bruins down in the American Hockey League this season. Subban arrived (back) to the NHL earlier this week with wins in three of his last four AHL starts, stopping 107-of-114 (.939 save percentage).
(From what it’s worth, the Bruins are adamant that they’re not showcasing him for a potential trade.)
The Black and Gold will also make some tweaks to their fourth line. Both Danny Paille and Craig Cunningham will take a seat as the healthy scratches, while Jordan Caron draws back into the lineup and Brian Ferlin makes his NHL debut.
Ferlin, wearing No. 68, had nine goals and 16 points in 47 games for Providence this season.