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Bruins struggling, but no need for panic

Boston Bruins v Toronto Maple Leafs

TORONTO, CANADA - NOVEMBER 5: Zdeno Chara #33 of the Boston Bruins shoots during warmup before NHL action against the Toronto Maple Leafs at The Air Canada Centre November 5, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Abelimages/Getty Images)

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For proof it’s a long season, take the Boston Bruins.

Remember November when they went 12-0-1 and weren’t just beating teams, they were absolutely pounding them into the ground? The last month and a bit hasn’t been so impressive. Since Jan. 14, the B’s are 7-9-1 with just three regulation victories.

Even one of the NHL’s best defensemen is struggling – Zdeno Chara has just six points in those 17 games with a minus-10 rating.

Of course, it’s not all on him.

“We win as a team and we lose as a team. We could all be better…that’s for sure,” said Chara, as per CSNNE.com. “I don’t think there’s any one thing that we can say that we’re doing well. We need to improve every aspect of our game. When we play our game it’s fun to play and when we don’t it’s just working hard. We’ve got to be on top of the things that work for us.”

It’s easy to pair up Tim Thomas’s White House snub with the Bruins’ slump, but chances are it’s just Boston’s turn to hit a rough stretch.

Every top team in the NHL has stumbled this season. The Canucks and Rangers had a middling October. St. Louis was so bad to start that the coach got fired. The Red Wings lost six in a row early on. The Penguins lost six straight after Christmas. Chicago is only just putting a nine-game losing streak behind it. The Sharks and Flyers are slumping now.

It will, however, be interesting to see if GM Peter Chiarelli makes a move or two prior to the trade deadline. Nathan Horton is out indefinitely with a concussion and Rich Peverley is on the shelf for a month or more with an MCL sprain.

For what it’s worth, I’d be shocked if Chiarelli made a serious run at Rick Nash, if only because Columbus would ask for either (or both of) goalie Tuukka Rask and prospect Dougie Hamilton. Rask has to be out of the question given Thomas’s age, and Hamilton’s a potential franchise defenseman, and those don’t come around too often.