Things came apart in a hurry in the middle frame. The Bruins didn’t react well to two calls against them that they didn’t like and the Devils took advantage delivering an early knockout blow. They became the latest struggling team to get right against Boston, beating the Bruins, 5-1, Wednesday at the Prudential Center in Newark.

It’s come into question more and more frequently over the past number of weeks whether or not the Boston Bruins have what it takes to make the playoffs. That answer remains to be seen over the long term.