Ames: Bruins will learn a lot about themselves in final two games before All-Star Break

Before the Bruins can jet off to their vacation spots next week for the All-Star Break, they'll have two tough opponents in the Hurricanes and Maple Leafs.

Both are top five teams in the NHL and both have pushed the B's to the limit in recent meetings. While things have gone well for the Bruins for virtually the entire season, these next two games will see the B's in a position they haven't been in all year.

The Bruins are in a bit vulnerable spot right now.

Having lost two games in a row for the first time all season -- albeit their loss to the Panthers required overtime --  the B's will have to turn things around fast if they want to enter the break on a positive note.

The Hurricanes are one of the hottest teams in the NHL with wins in four straight, and are the only other team with less than 10 regulation losses this year.

David Pastrnak had the overtime winner in the Bruins' 3-2 victory over the 'Canes on Black Friday, in a game where Carolina jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period.

The Hurricanes eliminated the Bruins in last year's first-round playoff series in Game 7 and look to be another strong contender in the Eastern Conference this season.

Should the Bruins put in a strong showing in Carolina on Sunday, the Maple Leafs will count as Boston's final test on Wednesday. Each team has picked up a win in the season series, with the Bruins taking the most recent matchup with a 4-3 win on Jan. 14.

Toronto announced on Friday that star center Auston Matthews will be out at least three weeks after suffering a knee sprain against the Rangers, making him unavailable for Wednesday's bout. Despite the noticeable absence, the Maple Leafs will undoubtedly be ready to go in a battle of the best of the Atlantic division.

The last time the Bruins won in Toronto was Nov. 15, 2019.

Expect the Bruins veterans to play well down the stretch here as guys like Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and Brad Marchand seem to find ways to step up whenever things have gotten a bit sideways this season.

When Marchand was sidelined to start the season, Bergeron scored in four of the first seven games and added three assists during that stretch. Krejci has produced practically all season long on the ultra-consistent second line, tallying 41 points in 44 games. Furthermore, since Jake DeBrusk has been out with injury, Marchand has netted 15 points in 12 games.

Not to mention the sublime goaltending the B's have gotten all year from Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman, and the pieces are obviously there for the Bruins to perform. The question will be if unfamiliar territory combined with a pair very good teams will be too much for the Bruins coming up.

The best teams are the best for a reason — because they can handle just about everything thrown at them over the course of an 82-game season. With two top-tier clubs on the horizon, the Bruins will learn just how ready they are for postseason play in short order.