from Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe,

The Bruins enter the final week of 2015-16 in full chase mode. Detroit and Philadelphia, the two teams they’re pursuing, are 1 point ahead of Boston for third place in the Atlantic Division and for the final wild-card spot, respectively.

Never has 1 point seemed like a gap so great.

On March 14, the Bruins were in first place in the Atlantic Division with 86 points. They were 10 points clear of Philadelphia, the ninth-place team in the Eastern Conference, and 7 points ahead of the Red Wings. Since then, the Bruins have gone 2-7-0, while the Wings have gone 6-4-0 and the Flyers 7-3-1.

Call it a choke, gag job, or anything else that qualifies as such. In reality, their nine-game stumble is a mirror. The results reflect who they are: an unexceptional, top-heavy mishmash of players.

Their talent level puts them at risk for tumbles like the one they’re currently riding. It’s just that it’s happening at the wrong time.

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