Anyone from the Massachusetts area knows of our favorite NHL team: the Boston Bruins. Currently, the Bruins are in third place in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference, behind the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Inconsistent throughout many points of the season, the Bruins are fighting hard for good playoff seeding as we head through the home stretch.

Overall, the Bruins are 39-26-8 (86 points) on the season with nine games to go. This season, the Bruins have done fairly well on the road, with a record of 23-10-3.
Head Coach Claude Julien says of his team that “we consider ourselves a pretty decent hockey team.” While they have been doing well away from their home ice, their record at home at TD Garden has not been that incredible: 16-16-5.

Their 3-1 victory at home over the New York Islanders on Saturday, March 12 was their fifth win in a seven game span of the first two weeks of March (the two losses came in overtime, making it a seven game point streak), but the B’s promptly lost the next three in a row in a west-coast swing (at San Jose, Anaheim and Los Angeles).

American International College junior Emily Cormier, was expecting better of her beloved team.

“I am happy they have such a good standing in the conference,” Cormier states. “It is just so sad to see them not doing as well as they should be at home. Half of the enjoyment of living within driving distance to TD Garden is being able to go watch the Bruins win.”

Bruins forward Loui Eriksson also describes the thrill of playing at home.

“It’s always an advantage when you can play in front of your fans at home,” Eriksson said. “Obviously, we haven’t been playing the best at home this season, but we can still improve on that.”
I was lucky enough to be able to go to the Bruins game Thursday, March 10. It was amazing to be able to watch the Bruins play right in front of me. I enjoy watching hockey, and it isn’t bad on television. However, you get a much better experience while watching the game inside the arena. It is so crazy to see how many Bruins fans come together to cheer on their team. It was also very humorous to see how little to no support was given for the Carolina Hurricanes, the opposing team.

Everyone was amped up to watch the Bruins, from the second warm-ups started. You could feel the excitement from every single fan. Whenever the Bruins scored a goal, everyone stood up screaming along with the loud horns. Especially when they tied the game in the third period, you could feel how ecstatic everyone was. It was an experience unlike any other.

But the game did not make it very far into overtime, almost an anticlimactic ending in the 3-2 loss. It was great to see, though, how close to everyone stayed late just to make sure they saw the final moments of the game. Boston did not win that night, but I was thrilled to have been a part of the entire experience.Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Even though they have had their ups and downs, the Bruins will forever be a hometown favorite. AIC junior Josh Weintraub, agrees with this statement.

“I may not be much of a hockey fan, but I will always love the Bruins,” Weintraub says. “They’re a part of being from the Northeast, just like the Patriots and Red Sox.”

With nine games to go, the Bruins are fighting to stay in the playoff picture and hoping to finish strong. Five of those are against teams currently in the playoff picture, so it won’t be an easy ride to the end.