Another game, another loss.
GIVE IT UP FOR LOSS NUMBER EIGHT IN THIS STRETCH
First Period
First, Alex DeBrincat fought Andrew Peeke. DeBrincat, who is 30 pounds and several inches shorter than Peeke, reminded Bruins fans of the very prescient lesson that it is in fact about the size of the fight in the dog, and he put Peeke down with a takedown.
This lesson I am sure will be forgotten, but it’s nice to get a reminder every so often.
Then, another fight! Auston Watson locked horns with Jakub Lauko, and it…didn’t go great for Lauko.
He got like this close to hitting a DDT on Lauko.
The Red Wings got on the board first as Marco Kasper was the recipient of a lovely pass from Mason Lohrei to get him in the Bruins’ zone, and he wired a shot directly past Swayman to put Detroit up 1-0. 1-0 Red Wings.
I’m really trying to be nice to this guy, man.
Anyway, onto the 2nd period, the Bruins didn’t do much otherwise.
2nd Period
So that Detroit power play is pretty good, might just overcome that penalty kill. Lucas Raymond got a pass as they moved the puck with ease across the ice, and doubled up the Red Wings’ lead. 2-0 Red Wings.
Thankfully, the Bruins do in fact get to take a look at their miserable PK, and I’m sure it will surprise you to learn that David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie once again linked up for a power play goal!
What a pair of troopers.
Third Period
The Boston Bruins had 4 shots on goal through the final 20 minutes, all of them coming in the last 6 minutes of game-time. What do you think happened?
Bruins lose 2-1.
Game Notes
- Your TOI leader was Nikita Zadorov, who played 23:09 tonight.
- Outside of the opening few minutes, this was kind of a slow, boring game. Even with the fights, even with the penalties, neither side seemed like they were bringing much of anything past that first major burst of energy. It came to a head when the Bruins failed to summon a shot on goal while down 1 in the third period until it was about time to think about pulling Swayman. Just a real nothing of a game that the Bruins couldn’t take advantage of, which I suppose is the point right now.
- Fans will look at this and ask for, no, DEMAND more from this roster, and I get the sentiment and appreciate where it’s coming from, but if this is the direction this team needs to take, they simply do not have the more to give unless you’re looking for disappointment…but that is the goal, and the hope of a high draft will be the claws that snatch you from the abyss to see the sun’s rays break through darkened clouds.
- David Pastrnak’s gonna have 90 points by the end of the season. I’m so pissed that this year is going to involve Pasta not being a part of the postseason. Maybe TNT will have him on their ever expanding panel. If he wins Czech sportsperson of the year it’s because his people got a look at what he’s playing with and understood his labors to be herculean.
- Jokiharju had a bit of a boring, less than stellar night…and also ended up with Zadorov one of the best players in terms of possession on the team. Hockey’s funny like that.
- I’m coming around keeping Morgan Geekie, but specifically if you cannot find another 1st rounder in this draft by waggling all the work he’s done with Pasta in front of other GM’s faces. If not? THEN you drop the 2-year, $4 mil AAV on him the minute Round 7 of the draft starts. Just make sure there’s no extra conditions and we’re solid.
- Swayman had one of his better nights recently…and let in one of his worst goals of the year. Even when he pushes his head above water in terms of NHL SV% expectations he can’t win. He finished with a .909 SV%.
- The Bruins have lost 8 in a row; their worst stretch of 8 games since March 1997. Mildly insulting to that Ted Donato/Jozef Stümpel-led team however…those guys had way more goals than Boston has now.
- The Bruins are still sitting at 8th overall according to Tankathon, and if that holds; here’s who McKeen’s Hockey thinks would be best at that spot: Anton Frondell.
- 480 minutes left. We can do this together. I believe in you.
In what is most certainly going to be the most interesting reception to them hitting home ice in quite some time, the Bruins will play the Easts’ leading squad in the Washington Capitals on Tuesday. That game is at 7pm ET.
We’ll see you there.