Bruins’ Struggles Magnify Murky Spot In Playoff Picture

With a little more than a month until the March 7 trade deadline, the Boston Bruins currently sit in the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Bruins have certainly struggled this season, but after winning back-to-back games against the Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche, it looked like Boston had turned the page. That was until they lost an embarrassing 7-2 game to the Buffalo Sabres, the worst team in the conference.

It was the sixth time this season that opponents lit up Bruins goaltenders Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo for six or more goals in a contest. Regardless of how many times the Black and Gold have been blowout this season, they hold a 25-21-6 overall record with 30 games left in the season.

“This might just be a different year and that you’re just trying to get into the playoffs,” Andrew Raycroft said on “Morning Bru” on Wednesday. “It’s just different. You’re going to grind to the end, and winning 60% is going to be good enough, not the .750 or .800 that we’re used to.”

The Bruins are 16-7-3 on home ice at TD Garden but are below .500 on the road at 9-14-3.

“This is more normal,” Raycroft said of the Bruins road record. “Being 10 games over .500 on the road isn’t normal. … If the Bruins can find a way to get to .500 at this point in the season if they win five more road games than they’ve lost on the back end (of the season), then they’re in good shape.”

Raycroft pointed out that the injuries on the back end have not helped the Bruins at all this season. With Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy missing a good chunk of time and Brandon Carlo unavailable against the Sabres, the Bruins were missing three of their top defensemen.

“It’s a struggle bus when you don’t have those top three guys,” Raycroft explained. “That goes to the inconsistency that we talk about.

“I could find everybody a thousand players that could play in the NHL for a week, or for eight days, or one game, or whatever it is. It’s the ability to do it night after night after night and the ability to play at 50% capacity and still get around in the NHL. Those are the guys that play four, six, 700 games. The Bruins had a back-end (Tuesday night) of two or three guys that aren’t going to get to the 400-game mark. That’s just not in their game.”

Over the past ten seasons, the Bruins have failed to make the playoffs just twice, but they have appeared in eight straight postseasons. With only five games remaining before the inaugural 4 Nations Faceoff, every single game matters for Boston, with several teams chasing them in the standings.

“They’re going to be within a point or two of the playoffs either way,” Raycroft said. “… The tough schedule is the easy part for these teams. Last week (for the Bruins) was tough, and they won two tough ones. … I don’t think they’re going to lose six in a row.”

Raycroft added: “There’s usually teams trying to get into the playoffs, and it’s usually pretty difficult for teams. It hasn’t been for the Bruins, but it is something that is difficult. I still like them more than I like Columbus. I still like them more than I like Montreal. I think they find a way in.”