The Boston Bruins are at a fork in the road: Will they make a run for 1st?

BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 27: Rick Nash
BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 27: Rick Nash /
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The Boston Bruins are six points out of first place in the Eastern Conference. With injuries piling up the Bruins have a decision to make.

The Boston Bruins have been on a tear. They are on a five-game winning streak, even without their top players. The Bruins are inching closer to first place in the Eastern Conference, but is it even worth it?

Now I would love to head into the playoffs knowing that if it came down to a game 7, the Bruins would be playing at the TD Garden. For a young team like the Bruins, home ice advantage is really important.

But at what cost is it worth it?

The Bruins are banged up. Patrice Bergeron has a fractured foot, Charlie McAvoy has a sprained MCL, the Bruins need these guys at their best for the playoffs. If you rush them back trying to catch the Tampa Bay Lightning, they may not be at 100%.

So what should the Bruins do?

In this humble hockey fan’s opinion, you let McAvoy and Bergeron take all the time they need. Ideally, they get a few games in at the end of the season to shake off some rust. The Bruins schedule would allow this as they play their final two games of the season at home.

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Even if you rest some players this team has shown that they are still able to win. This most recent winning streak is showing just how special this team is. Riley Nash is stepping up and playing some fantastic hockey. The Bruins 4th line has returned as a force to be reckoned with, and Brad Marchand is just dominating.

The Bruins made all of these moves at the deadline for a reason… depth. So they might as well use these guys. If Zdeno Chara is feeling sore give him a game off. Kevan Miller’s knuckles sore from pounding some guys face in, let him rest. David Krejci coughs, you guessed it, rest.

The Bruins need to be as healthy as humanly possible entering the playoffs. They need all their weapons in their arsenal.

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The Boston Bruins are primed for a deep run in the playoffs, no matter what position they end up in.