The good news for the Bruins is that three of the next four games will be in the friend so friendly. The bad news? Those opponents that will face Causeway Street are not aggressive.
That begins on Thursday with the Winnipeg Jets, leaders at the West Conference, which smoked the B, 8-1, December 10 in the ugliest in a long line of horrible road losses.
The B are coming out of one of them, a brutal defeat 7-2 in Buffalo against the Sabres, who are mentioning the rear at the Eastern Conference.
As coach Joe Sacco has rightly pointed out, the B had done a pretty good job when recovering after some unpleasant losses, especially when that next game is at home. Last week, after an antiestics loss of 5-1 in New Jersey, the B arrived home to publish good victories about Ottawa and Colorado. And if they somehow handle a victory over Winnipeg on Thursday, that would contribute largely to erase Tuesday’s debacle in Buffalo.
Still, you can’t erase those losses. Now they have 12 L with a three -goad deficit or more in the season. That explains his differential of goals except a Bruin, except 25. And although they have shown resilience after those humiliating defeats, one has to wonder how much of these losses he gives a bite to the belief of the team in itself.
But Sacco is not worried about that right now.
“I think our team believes in what we are doing, they believe in the process and when they execute it at a high level, it works. They have known, they have talked about it, they understand it, “Sacco said.” Obviously, you don’t want to see those games and have happened a couple more than what we would like. But no, I think there is a strong belief system in the room that we are capable of not letting that happen when we need to stop bleeding or whatever. We have to do a better job there, but I still believe that the group has a strong belief system. “
One thing you can’t deny is that this team has been playing very with little hand for a while. Hampus Lindholm (knee) has been out since November 12, while Charlie Mcavoy (doll) has been out since January 11. In Buffalo, they obtained the extra blow of Brandon Carlo with a disease.
There is a good possibility that they can recover two of those players. Carlo participated in Wednesday’s optional skate, while Mcavoy expressed optimism that he could return to jets. Lindholm, who was out of the skates for a longer time and needs to build some muscle again, was less optimistic.
While Lindholm was not definitive, saying that he was taking things day by day, he also hinted that he can be wise, with five games before the two -week break for the four -nations tournament, to return after the break.
“It has been a long time since I played, I want to make sure that when I leave I can make a difference for the team,” said Lindholm, who stayed on the ice long after practice. “It is frustrating to be set aside, but it is as it is. It is easy to hurry things, but return and not be able to play the standard that I hold will not worth it. I really try to strive for now and return to that level where I know I can be. ”
Mcavoy, with his injury without affecting his legs, has been able to continue skating during his time on the shelf and, although a final determination had not yet been made, it sounded ready to work. He expects him and others to provide the impulse that the equipment could use.
“That’s what we expect,” Mcavoy said. “Whenever you don’t have all strength, you have it at the bottom of your mind. You don’t want to concentrate on that. Obviously, he is the next man up. But when a team is a little distance, nothing helps. I am excited to return and I know that Lindy is the same way. Whatever we can do to help the team, we are in a place where each game matters. The sooner we can be with all its strength, the better. “
The B have found in what for them is a foreign position. They are in a dog fight to reach the playoffs. By points they are inside the support, percentage of points are out of it.
Mcavoy hopes they can use that as a positive in the remaining 30 games and, wait, beyond.
“I think it’s more a half full glass,” Mcavoy said. “Each game is important. There are two points on the line, so I think that if you look at it, you can find emotion and joy, instead of seeing perhaps an end of the track or whatever. Each game is important. In this league, there is nothing better than playoff hockey. That is always the goal. Well, it seems that you now get some playoff hockey in the regular season, which is something different. This group has not really had to stretch much in past years. We have always had a pretty safe advantage and we knew where we were. This is different for us. And if we can find consistency and address it in the right way, this could be something that gives us an advantage. ”
B could use an advantage anyway, they can get it.
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