There is no team quite like the Boston Bruins (35-22-6) in the NHL this season. The Bruins have not lost at home since before Christmas. In that time, they've gone 12-0-0, a monstrous winning streak.
11 of those 12 wins came in regulation. All featured clinical finishing, stout defense, and clutch play in crunch time. In total, Boston's 24-8-1 on home ice.
They're virtually unstoppable on home ice.
Then these Bruins go on the road. They've lost seven straight road games (0-3-4).
Expanding that to Christmas, the Bruins are 3-4-5 on the road. They've held leads in 9 of those 12 games, but only won three of them.
Of those six losses, half came blowing third-period leads and losing in overtime.
Two are seismic meltdowns. Once in the Stadium Series, blowing a 5-1 lead to the Tampa Bay Lightning. In total, Boston's just 11-14-5 on the road this season.
Sunday night in Pittsburgh might take the cake for the worst loss of the year. Leading 3-0 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, who did not have Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, the Bruins collapsed defensively in the third period.
In the end, Boston lost 5-4 in overtime. The twisted and confounding logic fails to make sense.
It's truly a tale of two different teams. One an unstoppable force on home ice, one that shuts down everyone and anyone when they have a lead. Then there's the road Bruins, one that is very leaky defensively and a team that just doesn't deliver consistently enough.
The one universal trait? Boy, these Bruins are scrappy. Sure, they've lost seven straight on the road, which is quite bad. But, they've picked up points in four of those games. The optimist will tell you those points are the difference between where Boston is currently (Wild Card #2) and where the Columbus Blue Jackets are (ninth place, chasing a spot).
The pessimist will tell you that had they held on to leads against Tampa, Pittsburgh, and the New York Rangers, they'd be third in the division and a near-lock for the postseason.
Ultimately, Boston has just nine home games left. They've got 12 road games left.
They'll need to be more of the home-Bruins than the road-Bruins to make the dance. Of their last 21 games, to safely make the playoffs, Boston will need to win 14 of those games, and ideally pick up points in a few more.
Moneypuck.com gives the Bruins a 62.1% chance of making the playoffs. The Blue Jackets sit at 55.3%, with the Ottawa Senators close behind.
The stretch run will decide Boston's fate. Will it be more of the home-cooking style of play? Or the current road blues?