They’re on again and off again.
The Boston Bruins just captured five out of six possible points on their Western Canada road trip, beating the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames, but losing to a team they should not have in the Vancouver Canucks.
Linus Ullmark has come through of late, going 4-1 while stopping 160 of 170 shots (.941 save percentage). The team got a big goal from Matt Grzelcyk late in a tie with Edmonton to grab two points, and contributions from the lower portion of the Boston roster secured victory in Calgary. The team is now 14-8-2, and has a share of the playoff position in the Eastern Conference for the first time this season.
However, doubts continue to swirl around the team, and it isn't so much about what the Bruins are doing in 2021-22, but what to expect in the coming season that is fueling the debate.
Expectations are always high, especially in a city used to championships, and now watching a one-year transformation of the New England Patriots from having dirty shoveled on a dynasty’s grave, to Lazarus himself rising up on the shoulders of Mac Jones, Matt Judon and a revamped roster that stumbled out of the gate, but is now resembling Pats powerhouses of old. For the Bruins, their near-.500 record and inability to find an identity and string together meaningful wins has created a tension around the team not seen in some time.
Where does it go from here? If that were an easy question to answer, we’d all know it by now.
