January 7, 2025 | 3:00pm ET
By Shawn Hutcheon, TheFourthPeriod.com

BRUINS ARE HALFWAY TO THE PLAYOFFS, OR ARE THEY

Brad Marchand, forward

BOSTON, MA — The Boston Bruins have played 42 games meaning they are on the back nine of the 2024-25 season and we do not know in which direction this team is headed. Will they contend for a playoff spot or be on the outside looking in when the hockey season is over?

The NHL standings show Boston in third place in the Atlantic Division (20-17-5, 45 points) five points behind second-place Florida Panthers (24-15-2, 50 points), and nine points behind first-place Toronto Maple Leafs (26-13-2, 54 points). A third-place finish would ensure a first-round series against the second-place team.

However, the Bruins are just three points in front of the fourth-place Tampa Bay Lightning (20-15-2, 42 points). The Lightning occupy the first wildcard playoff spot and hold five games in hand on Boston.

Archrival Montreal Canadiens (19-18-3, 41 points) are in fifth place in the Atlantic Division and occupy the second wildcard position in the Eastern Conference. The Canadiens hold two games in hand on Boston and trail the Bruins by four points.

The Ottawa Senators also have five games in hand on the Bruins. Ottawa (19-17-2, 40 points) sits in ninth place in the Eastern Conference – the Pittsburgh Penguins (17-17-7, 41 points) are in eighth place – and are one point out of the second wildcard position.

Although Boston looks to be in good shape by being in third place, it is clear that playoff participation is not guaranteed for the first time since the 2015-16 season.

Unless they have a strong second half, The Black and Gold could finish the season with fewer than 90 points, and considering that every team that qualified for last year’s postseason amassed 91 points to 113 points, the possibility of not having playoff hockey in Boston this coming April is a real one.

This is not to say that the Bruins are not a good team, they are.

The rise in Boston’s compete level has been noticeable since interim coach Joe Sacco took command of the club on November 19, 2024. That compete level has carried Sacco’s squad to more than one of their 20 wins. However, good teams win the games they are “supposed” to win, and most of the games that are considered “challenging.”

The Bruins have not been successful at winning those “challenging” contests.

Of the Bruins’ 20 victories, five have come against teams (Toronto, Washington Capitals, Los Angeles Kings, Colorado Avalanche, and Vancouver Canucks) that are in playoff positions.

Of the 17 regulation losses, Boston has lost to eight teams (Florida twice, Dallas Stars twice, Toronto twice, Carolina Hurricanes, Vancouver, Pittsburgh Penguins, Winnipeg Jets, Washington) that currently reside in a playoff spot.

When you add in the five overtime losses, the Bruins have lost to one playoff-bound team (Edmonton Oilers).

Boston has a losing record of 5-11-1 against winning teams and a winning record of 15-6-4 against the rest of the League.

And that, my friends, reminds me of NFL coach Bill Parcells’ famous quote, “You are what your record says you are.”

The Bruins have a winning percentage of .536 and that is what they are. A team that has and most likely will hover around the .500 mark for the remainder of the season.

Goal scoring or, to be specific, lack thereof is the reason why Boston no longer dominates the League offensively.

Most people I talk to in and around the rinks I frequent each week ask me why the Bruins can’t score more goals (111 or 2.64 per game). What’s wrong with the powerplay (ranked 31st in the League)?

The answer is pretty simple – roster construction.

Boston has four players who have scored 10 or more goals this season. David Pastrnak leads the club with 17 followed by Brad Marchand’s 15 goals. Charlie Coyle and Justin Brazeau have lit the lamp 10 times each. Morgan Geekie and Pavel Zacha are not far behind with nine goals each. After that, there are 11 lineup regulars with five or fewer goals scored.

As mentioned, the lack of offensive production is not because of a lack of effort.

Every one of the players is skilled, can skate, and make plays, but none look as if they will become the proverbial sniper before the season ends, and those types of players are not as easy to find as some would think.

The last I checked, there aren’t many General Managers looking to move their most productive players for role players.

Bruins GM Don Sweeney has an abundance of role players to offer for trade. Role players contribute to championships but if a General Manager decides his team needs one, he will not send a player who consistently scores thirty-plus goals per season the other way for someone who has scored fewer than 10 times during the season.

The NHL Trade Deadline (March 7) is exactly two months away. Time will tell if Sweeney will be able to add a player who has reached double digits in the goal scoring category, although I would not hold my breath waiting for that to happen, even if you do look good in blue.

Until then, the Bruins are what their record says they are, and that may or may not bring playoff hockey to TD Garden this coming Spring.