Bruins proved they're playoff-ready with streak-busting win at Flyers

Enough with the regular season. Bring on the Stanley Cup playoffs!

The Bruins are ready for the postseason and they proved it with their 2-0 win Tuesday night against the hottest team in the NHL, the Philadelphia Flyers, who rode the league's longest current win streak – nine games – into their showdown with the league's No. 1 team.

Despite getting outshot 24-14 through two periods and 36-29 for the game, the Bruins were able to grind out the win.

Despite playing without their second defense pair of Torey Krug and Brandon Carlo because of injuries, the Bruins earned two points to reduce their magic number for winning the Atlantic Division.

And despite having to play John Moore and Connor Clifton together as a defense pair (cue the circus music) and coach Bruce Cassidy needing to juggle three of his forward lines to squeeze out some offense, the Bruins bounced back from their Saturday loss to Tampa Bay and avenged one of their worst losses of the season (a 6-5 shootout loss after they led 5-2 in the second period Jan. 13).

Sure, Tuukka Rask was the No. 1 star, and with 36 saves maybe he should've been the No. 2 and 3 star. His save total included a handful that could be part of the highlight reel they show at the NHL Awards when he's a Vezina Trophy finalists, and possibly the Vezina winner.

I don't think so.✋@tuukkarask | #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/77mh1R61G3

Despite what the scoresheet said after the final horn, this wasn't a one-man victory. And no play epitomized that more than the one Charlie Coyle made during a second-period power play in a 0-0 game. After Coyle failed to keep the puck in at the right point, he didn't hang his head in despair. Instead he hustled back and made a diving play to break up Scott Laughton's pass to Kevin Hayes, preventing what looked like a sure shorthanded goal.

Huge swing of momentum for the Bruins there.Charlie Coyle has a puck slip past him and Philly gets a 2-on-1 shorthanded look, but Coyle dives to break up the feed.Grzelcyk scores just about a minute later. pic.twitter.com/jzXlZJ4pbc

That's the type of play we're used to seeing from the Bruins in the postseason, whether it's a diving play to break up an odd-man rush, a blocked shot or a greasy goal.

Matt Grzelcyk's power-play goal seconds after Coyle's play wouldn't be characterized as greasy, but there were Bruins forwards getting dirty to screen goalie Carter Hart in front. Patrice Bergeron scored in the third period in a situation where a forward just has to get the puck on net on the rush, the type of play that could make the difference in a playoff series.

By taking down the Flyers the Bruins extended their lead on the second-place Lightning to eight points with 12 games remaining. Boston became the first team in the NHL to reach 100 points this season. The Bruins also showed that they're in full-on playoff mode even if they don't have much to play for four weeks before the actual start of the postseason. If they can win playing two shaky periods the way they did Tuesday, in a hostile environment, against one of the league's hottest teams and goalies, imagine what they'll do when they're clicking offensive and are healthy on defense.

The challenge now is for the Bruins to sharpen their game while also grabbing some rest before the start of the actual playoffs. Based on how the Bruins handled success last spring with almost the same exact roster, don't count on complacency slowing them down anytime soon.

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