Now that the dog days are over, so-so won’t do.
After Tuesday’s 5-3 loss to the Capitals at the Verizon Center, Bruins coach Claude Julien said, “Not a very good game for us to end with before the break. No doubt.
“Probably the positive thing is that we’ve got five days to think about that and come back hopefully refreshed, rejuvenated, and playing with a lot more energy.
“We were slow again tonight on the puck. Half a step behind for most of the night. You’re not going to win hockey games like that.
“The bottom line is that we’ve got to play better. We know that. Saying it is one thing. We’ve just got to make sure to make it happen. Hopefully a week from now, that will happen.’’
Julien, along with assistants Geoff Ward, Doug Houda, and Doug Jarvis, will be in Ottawa this weekend for the All-Star Game. They will be joined by Bruins players Zdeno Chara, Tim Thomas, and Tyler Seguin.
For everybody else, the break represents the final pause before the push to the playoffs, with play resuming Tuesday against the Senators at TD Garden. The Bruins are 2 points behind the conference-leading Rangers.
“We need to take these five days and make the most of it,’’ said Patrice Bergeron. “We have to come back and be ready for a great end to the season. It’s going to be real important.’’
Last year, the Bruins went 3-4-0 in their first seven games following the All-Star break. But soon after the seventh game - a 4-3 home loss to Toronto - general manager Peter Chiarelli made the first of four transactions that would prove crucial to the Bruins’ Stanley Cup run.
On Feb. 15, Chiarelli landed Chris Kelly from Ottawa for a 2011 second-round pick. Three days later, Chiarelli followed up with two more maneuvers. While the Bruins were preparing for a road game against the Senators, Chiarelli shipped Mark Stuart and Blake Wheeler to Atlanta for Rich Peverley and Boris Valabik.
Then, after freeing up enough cap space with his first move, Chiarelli got Tomas Kaberle from Toronto for Joe Colborne, a 2011 first-round pick, and a 2012 second-rounder.
On Feb. 23, Chiarelli made his fourth and final move by extending a tryout to Shane Hnidy. Three days later, Hnidy signed a one-year contract.
