Brad Marchand was honest after the Bruins' latest loss.
BOSTON – These are interesting times for the Boston Bruins.
After another blown opportunity during a 4-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights Saturday at TD Garden, the NHL will break for the 4 Nations Face-Off. The Bruins are currently outside the playoff structure and the roster could look completely different when play resumes Feb. 22. Teams are still allowed to conduct regular business during the tournament, including trades. Bruins GM Don Sweeney is also running Team Canada, so he’ll be extra busy the next two weeks.
As the Bruins witnessed Saturday, there’s a reason the Golden Knights are a contender for the Stanley Cup this season. The Bruins also learned they can still play with the best. Unfortunately for Boston, it allowed three unanswered goals late in the game and couldn’t respond.
“We can play with anybody,” said Bruins captain Brad Marchand. “The difference in the games are very small margins, small details, so we just need to clean it up a little bit. I think we can play with anybody, and we’ve seen pretty much everyone at this point . . . we have to come back (from the break) with the right mindset. A few days before our first game (back) we have to make sure we get back, work hard, get back in shape and then we need to play do-or-die hockey the rest of the year.”
The Bruins wanted to treat the final four games before the break as a springboard, treating each game like playoff hockey. Boston went 2-2 in that span. This break comes at a good time.
“It’s a good time to reset,” Marchand said. “These are the dog days of the season and guys are looking forward to the break, getting away for a little bit and resetting. It’s good for the group.”
Coach Joe Sacco is only focused on the process and not outside noise, including trades.
“Our job as a staff, and guys in the room, is just to keep pushing the way we can and play the best hockey we’re capable of playing game in, and game out,” he said. “We’re in the thick of things right now. If you look at the standings there are six, seven teams that are in the at wild card/third spot in the division right now, so that’s our focus and will continue to be our focus moving forward.”
Swayman, who played his 40th game of the season Saturday, will likely play the majority of the games in the final 25-game stretch.
“That’s fair to say,” admitted Sacco. “I don’t want to predict ahead too much who is playing, or who is not . . . The schedule is a little bit lighter when we get back, so there’s an opportunity for Sway to play more of those games.”
Swayman will represent the United States during the 4 Nations Face-Off, and while he’s looking forward to the opportunity, his focus is to help the Bruins earn a playoff spot.
“We’ve played a lot of hockey, as everyone else in this league, and it’s important to use this time off as an advantage,” Swayman said. “We need to regroup and make sure we’re coming back stronger and really pushing for these last 25 games. Everyone in this locker room will take care of themselves and do what they need to do to come back ready to play . . . Every point matters and it’s a fight, a fight for the playoffs. It’s an incredible position to be in when you look at it, something we can really build on, rally around as a team and catapult us into a playoff position.”
Stay updated with the most interesting Bruins stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.