The Bruins (9-6-0) moved into third in the Atlantic Division after Saturday's win, and now have 18 points on the season, just one above both Tampa Bay and Detroit.
It might be too early to start the standings watch, as teams will be tight all season long - but being in a playoff spot in the top three of the division is always a comforting sight, no matter which time of year it is.
The Bruins are the top road team in the NHL, with a 6-3-0 record. While that has been mostly dictated by the schedule thus far, this team has proved in recent years that they can play well away from home. They keep it simple, and play as a team.
Head Coach Claude Julien was pleased with the two points on Saturday night in Arizona, but he wasn't too pleased with the way the Bruins let their game get away from them a bit, not being as crisp with their puck management. He wants them to tighten up defensively on Sunday against the Avalanche.
"You don't want those habits to creep into your game, so that's what we're trying to make sure that doesn't happen here," said Julien. "So [Sunday] night's an important game for us."
A win to cap off a back-to-back set and a busy stretch would allow the Bruins to enjoy three days off from game action. After Sunday, their next game isn't until Thursday against the Wild in Minnesota.
"We're playing decent hockey, so it's a lot easier to give days off and time off for them to rest," said Julien. "It becomes a challenge when you need to fix things and you're trying to decide what's the best thing, whether it's going out there and fixing it, or whether it's giving them rest, so players can dictate that stuff a lot as well by their play."
