from Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe,

There were excuses interlaced with the lamentations. Just minutes after the Bruins left the ice after their most inexcusable loss of the season, a plea for help crept in. The team had arrived in the wee hours of the morning from Washington, and the mental and physical fatigue was evident.

Coach Claude Julien didn’t mince words when asked why this Bruins team hasn’t shown the composure and resiliency of his previous squads.

“I don’t think we have the same team we’ve had in the past,” he said after the Bruins had lost, 4-2, to the Panthers at the BB&T Center on Thursday night, putting them on the brink of elimination from the postseason. “Have a look at the roster. It’s not the same. We can’t live in the past. That’s what we’re trying to do here: work with the guys that we have. We’ve got a lot of young players and we’ve got a lot of players that haven’t played for expectations right now.”

They will have to play for them on Saturday night. Or maybe not.

Because with the loss to Florida, the Bruins could take the ice against the Lightning with nothing to play for, no reason to push themselves. They might already be eliminated from the playoffs. They need help at this point, from either the Senators or Penguins, two teams with no reason to provide any.

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