BOSTON – Even though it’s cutting right into the middle of a potential winning streak for the Bruins, the NHL All-Star break is coming at the perfect time for a weary Black and Gold group.
The Bruins played their 52nd game of the season on Thursday night when they outlasted the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 at TD Garden to push back into the playoff structure. Only the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames have played as many games thanks to the compacted schedule because of the World Cup and the new “bye week” feature in the regular season.
So, the B’s have played more games than any other team in the Eastern Conference headed into All-Star weekend and that weariness has bled into their game at points in the season’s first half.
“To be honest with you, I think so,” said Claude Julien, when asked if the three-day break from any team activity is coming at the right time. “I hope it does, would be probably the best answer. We’ve been the team that’s played the most games and I can sense the fatigue in our hockey club. You have to stand here and give them credit for how they grinded it out [against the Penguins] and pushed hard.
“But those days I hope will help our team. February has a lighter schedule, so obviously teams are going to catch up with some of the games that they haven’t [played], so hopefully we can make the most of what’s coming up here and keep winning some games here so that we can at least stay with the bunch.”
Obviously, the only Bruins players that won’t be getting a break will be Brad Marchand and Tuukka Rask as they head out to Los Angeles for the NHL All-Star festivities. A three-day vacation for them might have been ideal as well after both players participated in the World Cup before shouldering their usual heavy load for Boston.
But they’ll fulfill their obligation as All-Stars, and the rest of the team will rest up, heal and recharge knowing they’ll need to be at their best for most of the 30 games remaining in the regular season.
Boston Bruins
“I think everyone, not only in our room, but around the league, will agree this is an important time for this break. I think for our team especially, it’s crucial,” said Torey Krug. “Physically, we have a lot of guys playing some tough minutes, and some tough matchups and a lot of minutes. So it’s important physically.
“But I think more than anything, the mental break will be important for us. Get away from the rink for a little bit. I just want to make sure that we bottle this feeling up right now, and we come back ready to work against a good team in Tampa.”
That’s exactly the mentality the Bruins need to have when they return from the break with all the “compacted schedule” excuses in the rear-view mirror and a need for far more wins than losses staring them in the face over their final 30 games.