The Boston Bruins have struggled all season with blowing leads. It was evident even in the early going when the squad was winning a lot of games.
It appears that the issue has followed the squad after they made the playoffs the previous season. After Boston surrendered a 3-2 lead in the third quarter of Game 7, the Florida Panthers took advantage of the situation to win the game in overtime, capping the Bruins’ historic season.
This season, the Bruins have squandered 15 leads, 10 of which have occurred in the third period.
In the last 52 games,
The #NHLBruins are 26-13-13.They’re essentially a .500 team
— Shukri Wrights (@ShukriWrights) March 3, 2024
Boston’s record since the All-Star break is 4-4-5. In February, they went through six straight overtime games and only managed two wins in regulation. Four of those six games ended in overtime after the teams had blown a lead in the third quarter.
The Bruins’ record while leading after two periods has drastically changed from their 47-1-2 record from the previous season to 25-1-8. This season, the squad with the lowest victory % (.735) among the 32 clubs is the one that is presently in the postseason picture.
A few possible causes of the squandered leads include weak faceoffs, poor net protection, and issues with special teams.
Report: Bruins, Lightning interested in Flames' Hanifin https://t.co/bJeM8II03R
— theScore NHL (@theScoreNHL) March 1, 2024
before acquiring a physically strong, seasoned defenseman before the March 8 trade deadline, Boston could be able to overcome these challenges. Noah Hanifin of the Calgary Flames has been connected to the organization, but it appears Don Sweeney would need to perform some magic to get him in a Bruins sweater given his $4.95 million salary cost.
If this issue isn’t fixed quickly, Boston’s prospects of making the playoffs appear to be fading. There will need to be a change if they are to be genuine Stanley Cup contenders.
But the Bruins are risk-free with any lead until then.
Report: Bruins, Lightning interested in Flames' Hanifin https://t.co/bJeM8II03R
— theScore NHL (@theScoreNHL) March 1, 2024
before acquiring a physically strong, seasoned defenseman before the March 8 trade deadline, Boston could be able to overcome these challenges. Noah Hanifin of the Calgary Flames has been connected to the organization, but it appears Don Sweeney would need to perform some magic to get him in a Bruins sweater given his $4.95 million salary cost.
If this issue isn’t fixed quickly, Boston’s prospects of making the playoffs appear to be fading. There will need to be a change if they are to be genuine Stanley Cup contenders.
But the Bruins are risk-free with any lead until then.