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Bruins have points in 10 of their last 12 games, and that's propelled them into a playoff spot with plenty of time to spare. There are still 10 games left in the regular season.
B's leading scorer Brad Marchand told the team's website it's nice to have that wiggle room.
“It’s big," Marchand said. We know we’re gonna be in there and now we can can really focus on getting our game where it needs to be, going into the playoffs. Certain guys need rest or, you know, a couple days off. It’s nice to have that luxury to make those decisions, if need be, but we’re very proud to get back into the playoffs this year. It’s not an easy thing to do in this league anymore. You gotta be proud of the opportunity, but there’s still a lot of work left.”
Boston has 100 points - six shy of Nashville and Tampa Bay for the top spot in the NHL, with games in-hand on both.
The next challenge comes tonight in Dallas at 8:30 against a struggling Stars squad that's dropped six straight and eight of nine.
The Bruins have been shorthanded, as of late. Patrice Bergeron, David Backes, Rick Nash, Jake DeBrusk, Zdeno Chara, Charlie McAvoy, and Torey Krug all missed Wednesday's game in St. Louis.
The Stars are missing Jason Spezza and Ben Bishop.
These clubs faced off in mid-January, with the B's losing 3-2 in overtime.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Adam Kaufman Reports: