(Photo: Bridget Samuels/Ikeastan Hockey) Zdeno Chara and the Boston Bruins kick off a very important six-game road trip tonight when they travel to Montreal to take on the Canadiens

No one will ever forget the story of the 2010-11 Boston Bruins. It was a story of up’s and downs which obviously ended with a Stanley Cup Championship, but the path the team took to get there was an interesting one.

Flip the calendar back to last February and you’ll see this year’s team in the same boat as last year’s club. After dropping four of five and three straight overall the Bruins hit the road for a six-game road trip.

When they left Boston and headed for New York they had no idea the next 11 days would change their season, and change it for the best.

The black and gold swept the six-game road trip including an entertaining affair in Vancouver in what many people correctly predicted as a possible Stanley Cup preview.

Along with the six straight wins, the Bruins made some key moves at the trade deadline acquiring the likes of Tomas Kaberle, Rich Peverley and Chris Kelly. The timing of the deadline deals helped the new Bruins bond on the road with their teammates, something that certainly helped in bringing Lord Stanley back to Boston.

Here we are nearly a year to the day of the start of last season’s road trip with a near identical situation.

Losers of three of their last six the B’s embark on a six-game road trip that kicks off in Montreal tonight, and ends in Ottawa on February 25.

The National Hockey League trade deadline is slated for Monday February 27, but it would surprise no one if the Bruins made some moves prior to the deadline to help the newest Bruin(s) get accustomed to his/their teammates.

Putting trades on the backburner for now, it’s no secret this upcoming road trip is a big one for a struggling Bruins squad.

“You would hope so” said head coach Claude Julien.

“I think, that would be what you’re hoping for. Now, whether that happens or not, it’s going to be up to us to make it happen. If you come back and you haven’t righted the ship, it probably wasn’t what you needed. Basically, I’d like to think it is, and I’d like to see us find our game here in the next six games on the road and come back having found our identity again.”

Sandwiched between trips to Montreal and Ottawa, the Bruins will head to Winnipeg, Minnesota, St. Louis and Buffalo on the trip.

As of right now the Bruins are in no danger as they still sit as the number two team in the East, and hold a four point lead with five games in hand over the Senators for the lead in the Northeast division, but another month of this less the stellar play could ultimately end up hurting the defending Stanley Cup Champions.

“Yeah, we need that” said Captain Zdeno Chara. “We need to have a solid, solid trip and it obviously starts tomorrow [tonight vs. Montreal] with the first game out of those six games.”

Hopefully this time on the road is just what the Bruins need to get back on track, it certainly was the case last season. Do you believe in déjà vu?