Looking for a reason to believe in this Bruins team just over two weeks out from the trade deadline? Looking for signs that it would be worth it for Don Sweeney to invest in them with a big move or two? How does going 5-1-0 on their longest road trip of the season sound?
That's what the Bruins just did, capping off their 10-day trip with a 5-4 shootout win over the Columbus Blue Jackets Saturday night.
Saturday's win wasn't the most impressive in and of itself. They gave up four goals to a team not in playoff position, including the tying goal with three seconds left in regulation, and needed a shootout to squeak out two points.
But context is important. The Blue Jackets were a desperate team, fighting to stay within striking distance in the playoff hunt against one of the teams they might have to catch. And, as any player will tell you, the final game of a long road trip is generally the toughest for players.
This was very much a take-the-two-points-however-you-can-get-them type of game, with David Pastrnak's shootout winner and Jeremy Swayman's final stop serving as the cherry on top of an already impressive trip.
On the whole, there was a lot to like about these six games (not to mention the dominant 5-1 win over the league-leading Avalanche that immediately preceded this trip). The Bruins averaged 4.17 goals per game and looked deeper offensively than they have all season. While a few of the wins came over non-playoff teams, they also beat a pair of playoff teams in the Kings and Golden Knights by a combined score of 12-2.
Jake DeBrusk scored again Saturday, tipping in a Brad Marchand shot as he continues to fit in well on the top line. He has six goals and two assists in the last six games. Erik Haula continues to make his case for keeping the No. 2 center job, recording eight points of his own on this trip with three goals and five assists, including a goal Saturday.
Craig Smith followed up his hat trick on Thursday with another goal Saturday, helping to take the third line from one that plays physical and possesses the puck to one that does those things and also scores. Even Nick Foligno has started to find his game and some offense, registering three points in the last three games. Bruce Cassidy actually promoted him to the third line on Saturday, flipping him with Trent Frederic, and Foligno picked up an assist on Smith's goal.
The power play was the one part of the Bruins' offensive game that was still struggling, but it did score twice in Monday's win over the Kings, and it also came through in crunch time Saturday, with Patrice Bergeron scoring a go-ahead goal on the man advantage with 5:02 to go.
At the other end of the ice, the Bruins gave up two goals or fewer in four of the six games and allowed just six 5-on-5 goals on the trip. Most importantly, Swayman has continued to play like a true No. 1 goalie. While Saturday wasn't quite his best, the rookie still went 4-0-0 with a .936 save percentage on the trip. He's now 7-0-1 with a .953 save percentage and two shutouts in his last eight starts overall.
"I thought it was a real good trip. A lot of good hockey," Cassidy said. "...A lot of guys can feel good about themselves. And that's what you want with your group, to feel they can win every night."
The Bruins have not only put more distance between themselves and the likes of Columbus, but they've also pulled within two points of the Maple Leafs -- a team that once seemed uncatchable, but one that's been struggling recently -- for third in the Atlantic Division.
It might still be a little premature to call the Bruins a serious Stanley Cup contender, but they're certainly trending in the right direction, and they certainly look like a team worth adding to if you're Sweeney.
