Despite skid, Bruins avoided crash
Playoff mentality led to turnaround
For the Bruins, the playoffs officially kick off Thursday at the Bell Centre against the Canadiens, with Game 2 in Montreal Saturday before the series returns to Boston Sunday and Tuesday for Games 3 and 4.
But in one sense, the Bruins already have been thick in the postseason run.
On Feb. 23, Boston wrapped up a five-game road swing with a 5-3 victory over Tampa Bay that gave the Bruins nine of 10 possible points (four wins, one overtime loss). The good times kept rolling, as the Bruins returned to TD Banknorth Garden and won the next three matches, making it eight straight games without a loss.
That's when the whole thing nearly collapsed.
The shameful 10-2 setback against Washington March 3 ignited a seven-game skid in which the Bruins claimed only one win, dropping them back in the Eastern Conference standings. On March 6, they laid an 8-2 egg against Toronto at home. Two days later, Zdeno Chara suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out for five games. The Bruins recognized they had to fix their tattered game fast if they didn't want their season to end after 82 games.
So since March 15, the Bruins have been playing with the desperation and win-or-go-home approach that this first-round series will feature.
"When you take a step back," coach Claude Julien said after Saturday's regular-season finale, "you have to realize that our team has been battling for our lives now for the past month."
The turnaround started March 15, when Aaron Ward, after shooing Phil Kessel away from a P.J. Axelsson feed, put a slap shot behind Philadelphia goalie Martin Biron in a 3-2 overtime victory. Earlier in the game, Andrew Ference netted the tying goal at 19:33 of the third period, and Tim Thomas started the winning sequence by stopping forward Jeff Carter's breakaway bid in OT.
The Bruins proceeded to record at least a point in eight of the next nine games, cementing their playoff berth Friday in Ottawa.
So while the Bruins have 12 players on their current roster who never have appeared in an NHL playoff game (Marc Savard leads the way with 659 regular-season matches without tasting the postseason), the belief is this three-week run has steeled them for what comes next.
"The last six or seven games have been crucial for that developmentally," general manager Peter Chiarelli said of his younger, inexperienced players. "One of the things Claude's [talked about] is playing the last few games with desperation and composure. That applies to all players. You instill it in the young guys at crucial times. For them, it's to know how they have to perform at a level to make the playoffs, then survive and succeed in the playoffs. Mentally, that part of their psyche will get developed.
"They know what it is now. It's been physical. They've been through a grind. The level of play has really elevated the last few weeks and will even more with the start of the series."
Consider the recent history of the Senators, who are looking to defend their Eastern Conference crown. In its last 10 games, Ottawa went 3-6-0-1. The Senators most likely will be without captain Daniel Alfredsson (upper body, knee), gritty center Mike Fisher (knee), and two-way center Chris Kelly (leg) for the first round. Goalie Martin Gerber doesn't inspire confidence.
During their final 10 games, the Canadiens went 8-1-0-1 to climb to the top of the Eastern Conference. But even Montreal, healthy virtually all season, suffered injuries in the last three weeks. Captain Saku Koivu was knocked out March 28 with a fractured left foot and his availability is undetermined for the series. Defenseman Mike Komisarek hasn't appeared since Montreal's 4-2 win over Boston March 20 because of a hip injury, although the Canadiens believe he'll see first-round action. Defenseman Francis Bouillon last played March 29 because of an ankle injury, but he's expected to be ready by Thursday.
The Bruins, meanwhile, went 5-1-1-3 in a run that clinched a playoff berth. Chiarelli termed Savard as "close." Thomas has returned to the airtight form of earlier this season. They're still struggling to score (2.7 goals per game through the 10-game run prior to Saturday's shutout loss to Buffalo), but are trending in the right direction at the right time.
"We have to face up to slay the dragon, so to speak," Chiarelli said. "The last two games, we've played well against [Montreal]. If we play our game - a methodical game, an opportunistic game - in the playoffs, anything can happen. It is a seven-game series. Based on the record this year, they would be favored. But I don't mind being the underdog. We've been the underdog all year. People picked us to finish last. We're in that role again."
Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at FShinzawa@globe.com.
