Brickley on D&C: Expect B's to make moves

NESN Bruins analyst Andy Brickley made his weekly appearance on the Dennis & Callahan show Wednesday morning. The Bruins fell to 6-7-1 in their last 14 games after dropping a 3-0 decision to the Eastern Conference-leading Rangers Tuesday night.

"They have to take a look in the mirror," Brickley said of the B's. "They have some holes in their game. Until they address those and get better, they're not going to win."

Added Brickley: "They need to focus on the way they're playing right now. It looks like they're not going to catch the Rangers, the gap between first and second in the conference is probably too big at this point in the year. I don't see anybody in the division challenging Boston -- the deeper we get here into February and March and April -- for the division title.

"So, it's probably a pretty good position to be in. And it allows management to say, 'OK, what are we? What's our identity? What do we need to add to this team in order to try to make a run at the Stanley Cup and repeat?' It's not a bad spot to be in. As much as it hurts to lose to the Rangers and disappointing to not win that hockey game and be at the top of the conference, I think it actually allows them a little more wiggle room to say, 'This is what we are, let's add to this team, and how do we do it?' "

The Bruins embark on a six-game road trip, beginning with Wednesday night's game in Montreal. Brickley said this is a crucial time for the team, both on and off the ice.

"I think it's important right now, no question about it," he said. "Because they have some questions in their room, as far as who we are and how good can we be. They believe in themselves, there's no doubt about it, they have a lot of character. But what builds character and what makes you think that you have what it takes to win in the postseason is how well you play on the road and how you play as a team.

"I think this is a real important trip. My only concern is I don't want this team sitting around waiting for something to happen as far as a transaction. They need to say that this is our group, this is our team, let's go out and be real good and let's play the way we can and not wait for management to make some kind of a deal. It all comes down to that frame of mind right now. This is the team that they have. That's the approach that they have to have. But I do believe if you're thinking about what this team's going to be, there will be some transactions before February 27th."

Following are more highlights from the conversation:

On struggling center David Krejci: "David Krejci's the only guy I really can't defend. He needs to be a better player. The Bruins need two scoring lines. No matter who David Krejci's playing with, he's that good that he can make that an offensive threatening line. And it's just not there right now. I think that has really caused some problems for the Bruins offense.

"Until he finds his game, no matter who he's playing with, along with the [Patrice] Bergeron line, the Bruins are going to continue to play really, really challenging games as far as where their offense is and how dominant they can be."

On the Rangers: "That's a real good team. They've bought into what John Tortorella wants. … They look like the Bruins of last year. They have very few holes, they compete real hard, they defend real well, they have a great goalie and they're opportunistic when they can get opportunities on offense."

On Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist: "Lundqvist is the X-factor with this team. He's more than in the conversation for the Vezina. Probably when you talk about who's going to win the MVP of the league, he's got to be in there as well. As much as we love Tim Thomas and the years that he's had over the last three and how unique he is in his style, Lundqvist is the same. He's unique in a different fashion, how deep he plays in his own net. That is not common in the NHL."

On the situation in Montreal, after Canadiens forward Scott Gomez had an argument with an assistant coach at practice Tuesday: "He's just a one-dimensional player who's not even playing to that dimension. And now he's got an attitude in practice instead of just doing what he should do. It's so wrong right now in Montreal. … It's so bad right now in Montreal. I can't imagine how they're going to turn this thing around with a player that they can't move."

To hear the interview, go to the Dennis & Callahan audio on demand page. For more Bruins news, visit the team page at weei.com/bruins.