Bruins playoff push 'far from over' after comeback win over Panthers
Published
The Boston Bruins put the NHL on notice on Tuesday night to not count them out of the playoff race just yet.
Down 2-0 to the Atlantic Division-leading Florida Panthers in the third period, the Bruins roared back to score three unanswered goals in a 7:47 span to win 3-2.
Boston is now tied for fifth in the Atlantic Division with the Montreal Canadiens and are two points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
“Winning is always satisfying,” Bruins forward Mason Lohrei said after the game. “It shows a lot of what we have in here. We’re never going to give up. We know where we’re at, and we’re just going to keep fighting.”
The Bruins have had every reason to give up heading into Tuesday’s action. The team had lost eight of their past 10 games and acted as sellers at the trade deadline, trading defenceman Brando Carlo, and forwards Charlie Coyle, Trent Frederic, and Justin Brazeau to contending teams around the league.
The most impactful move on the dressing room was dealing heart-and-soul captain Brad Marchand to the rival Panthers. He played parts of 16 seasons in Boston and was a key member of the team’s recent success, winning a Stanley Cup in 2011 and appearing in three Stanley Cup Finals (2011, 2013, and 2019).
On top of that, the Bruins are missing two of their top defencemen in Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm long-term due to a shoulder and knee injury, respectively.
“We understand what just transpired with our group,” said interim head coach Joe Sacco. “We have new players here. It’s an opportunity for these guys. Whatever motivates them, if it’s the underdog role, taking that on, if it’s, ‘I have an opportunity here maybe that I did not have before somewhere else.’
“What I’m trying to do as a staff is, we want to see us come together as a team as quickly as we can. I think that produces winning hockey.”
The Bruins aren’t used to being in a position where they have to fight tooth and nail to extend their season into the playoffs. The team has made the playoffs for eight consecutive seasons, winning their division twice, including a Presidents’ Trophy in 2023.
Boston has also cracked the 100-point plateau in six of those eight seasons.
Heading into Wednesday’s action with a 30-28-8 record, Boston is well short of their pace over the past eight seasons, but the team still saying all the right things and showing the heart of a contender.
“There’s a lot of guys who play with pride and they play with their heart, and they prove something for either themselves or management or fans or their teammates,” said defenceman Nikita Zadorov. “All the guys since Friday have been showing up, ready to work, ready to work their [butts] off and play for the crest.
“There’s no quit in this team, and we’re going to keep pushing until the end.”