It’s been a familiar refrain for the better part of a couple months: “The Bruins have X games in hand on Team ABC.”
And it’s true: we’re entering the second half of February, and the Bruins have two games in hand on the team directly in front of them (Tampa Bay Lightning) and four games in hand on the team directly behind them (Toronto Maple Leafs).
In fact, the Bruins have played the second-fewest games in the NHL this season: they’ve played 55 (tied with a few other teams), while the Florida Panthers have played 53.