By: Joe Ballway, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
If you told me back in October that, come April, the Bruins would be locked in a Battle Royale for the eighth and final playoff spot, I probably would’ve slapped you. After all–distant a memory as it may seem–the Bruins are just one year removed from a dream season that delivered a first-place finish, numerous accolades, and the franchise’s first playoff series victory since 1999. Not much was expected to change this year. If anything, the Bruins were supposed to build off of their success, picked in the preseason by fans and experts alike as a trendy Cup favorite.
April was going to be the time of year when the Bruins, having already clinched a playoff spot, were preparing for the long postseason haul. Six months ago, it wouldn’t have been crazy to assume that the season finale against Washington on April 11 would potentially serve as an exciting, yet meaningless, Eastern Conference Finals preview between two elite teams.
Instead, that contest could be the deciding factor in whether or not the Bruins even make the playoffs–and God forbid that it does come down to that game, for the goal-starved Bruins are ill-equipped to match up with the top dog in the East.
And if they do hold their own against the unstoppable Washington offense?
Well, [...]

By: Joe Ballway, YawkeyTalkies Correspondent
While one game certainly doesn’t determine a season, the Bruins have their work cut out for them after a shockingly one-sided 4-1 loss to the Capitals on opening night at the Garden.
After ten minutes of close, up-tempo hockey, the remainder of the contest was all Alexander Ovechkin & co. The Russian superstar finished the night with a goal and two assists, out-skating and out-muscling the Bruins in their own zone to create ample scoring opportunities. The Capitals cashed in twice on the man-advantage, outshooting the Bruins 34-20 overall.
Patrice Bergeron accounted for the Bruins’ lone tally, scoring on a breakaway midway through the third period. Other than that, Boston’s supposedly well-balanced offensive attack didn’t put much of a scare into Washington netminder Jose Theodore. The Bruins managed just three shots in the third period, and the power play was abysmal, registering just one shot over the course of five attempts.
This offensive ineptitude is certainly unfamiliar to the Bruins, who led the Eastern Conference in scoring last season. Timing is partly to blame; key offensive cogs Marco Sturm and David Krejci are returning from injuries after minimal preseason participation. However, it’s still disconcerting that Boston’s top three lines [...]