As I've been saying all along, the team was built wrong.
Too much stock was put in drafting and getting forwards and now your defense and goaltending is lacking.
From the time a team feels it has what it takes to make a serious push, you have a very short window to do it in before salaries, the salary cap and UFA eligibility come knock at your door.
The only way to get quality defense and goaltending is to either develop or trade for it. Being that the laffs need it NOW, you would need to trade for it which means giving up assets and freeing up salary space.
It's a vicious circle when you lose key ingredients to get key ingredients.........if you get it right then all is good. One wrong move and the ceiling falls in on you. Look at Ottawa and Methot, losing him was a disaster that reverberated through the whole team and our year was a disaster.
If by chance the laffs can muster up the heart and soul to compete with the Bruins they might recover a bit....personally I don't see that happening.
They looks beaten and bruised last night.