McDonald: Buried in November, Bruins have it all in front of them Sunday

When the Bruins were struggling back in mid-November (6-7-4 after a four-game losing streak), the thought of game No. 82 possibly signaled the end of the 2017-18 season.

As in, "See you next season."

Well, five months later, the Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division titles are on the line.

Bridge season? Don't think so.



A win in any fashion on Sunday against the Florida Panthers at TD Garden will give the Bruins both the conference and division crowns. Boston could end the season with 114 points. It had only 16 on Nov. 15 after that four-game skid. Even at the lowest point of the season, Bruce Cassidy and the players believed they were still a playoff-caliber team. Little by little, they climbed the standings. Piece by piece, even through all the adversity with injuries, they built themselves into a contender and now many believe the Bruins could go deep into the spring.

"I would not have thought that," Cassidy said when asked about the team's chances back on Nov. 15. "Let’s face it, we were trying to find our own game and get to where we thought we were at the start of the year, which was definitely a playoff team. We just didn’t know where we would fit, and the way Tampa got out of the gate, and Toronto for that matter, it was going to be an uphill battle, but here we are. We’re in a position to take it, and that’s a credit to the guys. We’ve worked hard to get here. This wasn’t by accident."

In all likelihood, Vegas Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant will win the Jack Adams Award but, damn, Cassidy should be a close second. From top to bottom, the Bruins have erased all doubts.

"Opportunity for us, hopefully we’re up to the task. I’m sure the guys will be excited tomorrow," Cassidy said.

It was two seasons ago when Tuukka Rask was ill and couldn’t answer the bell for the final game. As a result, the Bruins lost game No. 82 and missed the playoffs. Now, he has a chance to help his team earn conference and division titles. Originally, backup Anton Khudobin was slated to start both games this weekend. That quickly changed after the Hurricanes defeated the Lightning.

"Tuukka goes tomorrow," Cassidy said.

This team has believed in itself for a long time. No matter the outcome of Sunday's game, no matter if they finish atop the standings, it's in a good place to start the Stanley Cup playoffs.

"There’s pressure, obviously, to win," Cassidy said. "You want that No. 1 seed, but when you have pressure, and you have expectation, what does that tell you? It means you’re good, so you’ve got to be able to handle it. As a professional athlete, you want that, where there is an expectation. We’ve raised that throughout the year, going back to November, I don’t think it was there. It was like, Let’s get in; let’s play well, see where we can go.

"Now, well what have we got here? Where we can have home ice throughout the whole playoffs; we’re a very good home team. However, it turns out tomorrow, there’s no easy team in the NHL playoffs, I don’t believe. Nashville proved that last year; Ottawa proved that. I mean, everybody that gets in is a good hockey club. So, it’s not about who you play, it’s just about the honor of being Eastern Conference champions and Atlantic Division champions and having that No. 1 seed. I think it gives you some confidence."

Time and again this season, the Bruins have closed out games in dramatic fashion, either with a strong finish, or a come-from-behind victory in the closing seconds. Basically, this team knows how to win. No longer is it a combination of youth and veterans. It's become one cohesive team. Sunday, win or lose, is the start of the next journey of the season.

"We’ve shown character all year and we’ve played the right way most of the year so I think that’s what you have to bring whether it’s tomorrow or next Thursday," said Patrice Bergeron. "That’s the approach that you need to have, that’s what winning hockey is all about and that’s what we are all about. Playing the right way throughout the game but also finishing well, finishing smart and taking care of the puck. ... It’s definitely great to see a great accomplishment by everyone. Hopefully, there’s more to come."

The Bruins' first-round opponent is down to two -- the Toronto Maple Leafs or New Jersey Devils. At this point, Boston doesn't care which team it is.

"We focus on ourselves," said David Pastrnak. "We've played both those teams and if we want to win (the Cup) we need to go through everybody and for us, we want to play out best and focus on ourselves."

Bridge, or no bridge, the Bruins have been walking on water the entire season.