What's Next for the Bruins?

Rask and Savard are keys for the final month and a half.

After a heart-wrenching overtime loss to Canada Sunday afternoon, the NHL will get regular season play back underway this week. The B's will come out of the break Tuesday night at home against the Montreal Canadiens. If the Bruins hope to stick around in the playoff picture, they will need more consistent play from the veteran leaders like Chara and Savard and will have to hope to avoid the injury-bug.

Here's what the Bruins need:

1. Milan Lucic: The young playmaker must stay healthy for a competitive Bruins squad. When Lucic has been sidelined at various points throughout the season due to injury, the style of play and aggression of the team are clearly down. He is an emotional leader of the team, who despite his young age, is capable of exciting both his teammates and the fans alike. His presence on the ice will be pivotal to the team's playoff quest.

2. Upgrade the Offense: The Bruins have long since been rumored to acquire a big-time playmaker to spark the offense. After missing out on Ilya Kovalchuk, the Bruins desperately need a star along the front line who is capable of providing consistent offense on the ice. The team has lost too many low-scoring affairs and cannot afford for that trend to continue.

3. Put the puck in the net: As simple as it sounds, the Bruins simply haven't been able to convert scoring opportunities into goals this season. Ranked dead last in the NHL in goals scored, the team desperately needs to ramp up their offensive attack if they have any aspirations of going deep into the playoffs. The other teams ahead of the B's in the standings all have a significantly more potent offense and each poses a real threat to the team's chance of flourishing through the final games of the regular season.

4. Tuukka Rask: Rask has been absolutely outstanding this season and has recently seen increased playing time at the expense of veteran netminder Tim Thomas. The Bruins simply seem to play better when he's between the pipes, compiling a 14-7-4 record. Not surprisingly, Rask boasts the best GAA in the league at 2.08 per contest. The young goaltender from Finland who turns 23 this month must continue his excellent level of play. If Rask is able to sustain his ability throughout the season and into the playoffs, the team could ride his hot hand for a long time. The kid clearly has a bright future in the NHL.

If the Bruins can come together as a team over the remainder of the regular season, the B's have a real shot of playoff success in 2010. However, that is one enormous "if".

Check back for any updates, as the NHL's deadline approaches tomorrow at 3PM.