Skidding Bruins look to bust out
Defending Cup champs vow to ‘put best game forward’ against Carlyle and Leafs
When critics say the Boston Bruins are “struggling,” it’s a relative term.
The Bruins enter Tuesday’s division tilt in Toronto on a two-game losing streak and mired in what could be considered, by their standards, a nearly two-month spell in which they’ve underachieved.
Ever since winning back-to-back games on Jan. 10 and 12, the Bruins juggernaut has slowed to a crawl. The club has not won two straight games since, and its formidable record of 28-11-1 on Jan. 12 is now 38-23-3. That means the defending Stanley Cup champs have lost14 of their last 24 games (two in extra time) — not what the team or its fans expect.
“You look at our team and you see our guys are engaged . . . but we have to realize we can’t take anyone for granted at this time of year. Everyone, every team, is bringing its best game against us and we have to be prepared for that,” winger Brad Marchand said Monday.
The Bruins, who took a 15-game winning streak into early December, have buckled slightly with several regulars on the injured list. The club also lost backup goalie Tuukka Rask over the weekend to a suspected left knee injury and he could miss up to six weeks. The Bruins signed veteran goalie Marty Turco Monday to take his place. While most teams have to deal with multiple injuries, the Bruins’ ability to “find a way to win” has waned.
“We expect a lot of ourselves and it’s frustrating when you don’t pick up the points,” Marchand said. “But if we put our best game forward every game, we should be okay.”
Boston enters Tuesday night’s game with a 4-0 record against Toronto so far this season. The clubs met four times up to Dec. 3, with Boston winning all four by a combined score of 23-6.
The Leafs, who entertained catching the Bruins in the standings three weeks ago, now play their first game on home ice behind new coach Randy Carlyle.
Boston, which overcame several setbacks this season — including a slow start that prompted some critics to raise the spectre of the so-called Stanley Cup hangover — will not be taking the Leafs lightly.
“They’re a team that’s always given us a good run,” centre Patrice Bergeron said. “They’ve got youth and they’ve got a lot of skill. Now a new coach comes in and I guess it brings a second life . . . we’re aware of that. For us, it’s only about playing our game. You don’t want to wait for what they’ve got, you want to play your game and establish that right away.”