Two months into the NHL season, generally, around American Thanksgiving, teams that are sitting in a playoff position are in a good spot to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That hasn't always been the case, but it's a benchmark a lot of hockey people use in terms of trying to figure out where a team is headed.
For the Bruins, they face a tough first two months under first-year coach Marco Sturm, but a quick look at the schedule for December, it's a busy and tough one for the Black and Gold around the holiday season.