While the decider game late, the Bruins ultimately went against trying to challenge it in a very boring game.
[snoring]
huh, what? Oh yeah. Game’s over, they lost, it wasn’t fun.
First Period
Not much! This was a low event game played by two very low event teams.
The difference is that the Sharks have Macklin Celebrini and like three swedish kids who might turn out to be something.
Second Period
Oh yeah! Scoring!
The Sharks got on the board first, with a William Eklund goal from a cross ice pass that left him effectively one on one with Korpisalo, and he cashed in. 1-0 Sharks.
Then, later on in the period; Casey Mittelstadt was the beneficiary of Alex Georgiev’s baubled pass that was bounced away from the Sharks defense and gave him probably the easiest goal he’s scored all year. 1-1 Everybody!
And it’s on to the third!
Third Period
Oh boy…
This game went a long time without either side getting much of a scoring chance, and finally the Bruins surrendered goal #3 of the game on an extended zone-time sequence that found Lucas Carlsson alone in the slot, and he got a slick backhander off to beat Korpisalo high. 2-1 Sharks.
They pulled Korpi, and I think you can guess where they were from there. Barclay Goodrow empty netter. 3-1 Sharks.
3-1 Sharks win.
Game Notes
- Your TOI Leader was Nikita Zadorov, who finished with 23:22 logged.
- Like…do you want analysis of this? Because it’s roughly been the last few weeks in a nutshell. The fact it took the Bruins this long to even try and take control of this snorefest of a game just tells you everything you need to know. If the Vegas game was an asskicking, this was clearly a team with only a few players with a vested interest in performing. This was just another kick in the head reminding you of it.
- The Bruins probably could’ve pushed this game to overtime had they called for a challenge for offsides on Lucas Carlsson’s goal, as upon replay it was very clear that the Sharks had come into the zone offsides. I am of two minds about this; on one hand, you absolutely must make that challenge. That was about as open and shut a challengeable offsides as any I’ve seen, and it does not in my opinion send a great message to your players that if everyone can see a blatantly offsides play and you just ignore it so you can get back to the locker room. That reeks of a level of indolence only reserved for Canadian NHL General Managers, and we do not have to take that.
- On the other hand, this was not an effort that deserved a challenge. Would the Bruins have taken that re-established tie and built off of it? Would it really have been better for them to lose in overtime to the Sharks rather than in regulation? Because that’s where this effort was going! Does it make you feel any better knowing they got a loser point off the Sharks? or are we just bargaining to hope they might’ve put it together after that? Hell, if I learned at the end of the season that Sacco was told he was only allowed to challenge goals-against if they were goalie interference in one goal behind situations? I would probably believe you! There’s no need to drag out bad games! You’ve got a game today! Get to work!
- And on another, third hand growing out of your chest…this is what it looks like if you know that losing is going to help you in the future, and you don’t care how it looks getting to that point. You want a high draft pick? I mean, a really high draft pick? Then this is the kind of thing you gotta do. You will hate yourself in the moment for it, but it’s what you have to do. As gross and craven as it is, I completely get why Sacco didn’t do it. It is the kind of thing that needs to be done, even if it makes you sick to think about.
- First time in almost 15 tries the Sharks have attempted to beat the Bruins, and they finally got their L against one of the most moribund versions of this team. Little streaks like that are made to be broken, but it really highlights just how far this team has to go in order to be competitive again. Against the SHARKS. Good god.
- If you want to feel some positives after a greased sewage pipe of a game like this, Fabian Lysell and Marat Khusnutdinov were the best players on Boston at even strength in terms of possession, finishing the night above 80% in CF%, 92% in FF%, and a hilarious 99% in xGF%…which ended in neither of them converting any of that into points. Admittedly, they only got around 11 and a half minutes of icetime tonight, but in the situations they were played, they found some success. They clearly have…something that can be mined for an effective NHL roster. As for what, we’re gonna have to see how they do against superior competition. No better time like the present!
- Also, Casey Mittelstadt scored! Glad for him! I’m hoping he keeps up the pace because he has yet to have a consistent line to play with yet!
- I’m really trying with Mason Lohrei, man. He’s turned out to sort of be the Torey Krug analog that maybe his most ardent supporters have hoped he would turn into, but with the added caveat of him turning into St. Louis Torey Krug; his offensive contributions are just not coming fast enough to save his atrocious defensive impact on his team. He needs to be better. He needs to, because I am running out of patience with this player who has made it very clear he is good enough to score NHL goals and get NHL assists, but the rest of his game has yet to really show up consistently.
- Korpisalo was fine! He had a .900 tonight, and in fairness to him he certainly had some hideous defense working in front of him tonight. Fine probably should’ve won them this game, but he wasn’t getting bailed out by the coaches. Pity, he’s put together some decent performances.
- Better find second gear tonight against LA, because if this is the effort coming their way after absolutely blowing up the Hurricanes? They might break a single-season scoring record.
The Bruins are back in action tonight against the LA Kings, and that game is on at 9pm EST.
Let’s all grin and bear it, and we’ll see you tonight.