Damn you, autocorrect.

The Boston Bruins knew that they were heading into a nightmare of a rink. The Honda Center, home of the Anaheim Ducks, has been a death sentence for visitors in 2013-14, with the Ducks entering tonight's game with a 17-0-2 record at home. But a first period that saw the Bruins outshoot Anaheim 16-to-3 brought optimism. Then it all crumbled.

Mathieu Perreault struck on the power play for Anaheim 5:53 into the period, and then Corey Perry scored a power play goal of his own just 10 seconds into the Ducks' second man-advantage of the night. And with Boston on the power play and with a chance to pull themselves within one, a shorthanded goal from Andrew Cogliano at the 17:10 marker of the second period seemingly destroyed all hope for a homewrecking affair.

But the B's found hope in a Danny Paille goal with just 16 seconds left in the second, good for Paille's seventh of the year, and also good for Justin Florek's first NHL point (in just his second game in the pros, for that matter).

The Bruins, in enemy territory, were alive. Barely, but alive nevertheless.

Cutting the Anaheim lead in half seven minutes into the third by way of Dougie Hamilton's fourth goal of the season -- and his first since Nov. 2, 19 games ago -- the Bruins were buzzing. It wouldn't last. With Brad Marchand in the box for an interference call, the B's penalty kill moved to a woeful 0-for-3 on the night when Nick Bonino reestablished the Ducks' lead to two, while Perreault's second of the night put the dagger in the Black-and-Gold's chest.

So, just what the hell happened to the Bruins? It was another night of your Typical 2013-14 Bruins in the sense that they had yet another embarrassingly bad middle frame.

Through 43 games this season, the Bruins have scored 35 goals in the second period of their games, but have allowed 37. It's their only negative goal differential in any period this season -- they have a plus-12 goal differential and plus-19 goal differential in the third period -- and it's clearly become this club's true Achilles' heel.

But take the second period away and what was tonight? Hint, hint: Not horrible. The Bruins had their chances -- the Bergeron line must've had about 26 of 'em, too -- but just couldn't bank 'em in. They were victimized by poor positioning and defensive gaffes (Adam McQuaid was on the ice for four of Anaheim's five goals), but they weren't necessarily blown out of the water, either. It was yet another baffling defeat.

You can say whatever you'd like about tonight's game, really.

You can argue that the third period call on Marchand was 'bogus' (which Claude Julien say after the game), or you could point the obvious lack the offense had without Milan Lucic (flu), or even point to the fact that the Ducks are just a damn machine on home ice. Those are all valid points. But this road trip, with two more stops in Los Angeles and then wrapping it all up in San Jose, is extremely important to the Bruins.

As the scene shifts to LA, Boston's focus can't be about what they're missing, but rather what they can do when you're missing the pieces like an Eriksson, and like a Seidenberg.

These Western Conference matchups are a true measuring stick for the Bruins. And on a night where the Bruins went 0-for-3 on the penalty-kill, night one was a swing and a miss.

A big one.

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