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Bruins come up just short in loss to Reimer, Sharks

March 16, 2016, 4:00 AM ET [11 Comments]
Ty Anderson
Boston Bruins Blogger •Bruins Feature Columnist • RSSArchiveCONTACT
In just the first of three in the Golden State, the Boston Bruins found out just how hard it is to win in California, albeit against a familiar face in net in San Jose’s 3-2 handling of the B’s on Tuesday night.

Squared off with ex-Leafs netminder James Reimer for his third start in a Sharks uniform, the Bruins put forth a 23-shot night against the Manitoba-born backstop, but failed to put the equalizer through his cage after Joonas Donskoi’s go-ahead power-play goal 6:37 into the third period.

Still, the Bruins had their chances, and perhaps none better than a David Krejci breakaway stoned by Reimer’s skate (with help from the post) with 4:00 left in the third or defenseman Torey Krug’s actual last second rush into the San Jose end with less than five seconds left.

But on the night that saw the Bruins start in an 0-1 hole behind Melker Karlsson’s ninth of the season only to climb out front behind goals from Krejci (his 15th of the season), and a shorthanded strike from Loui Eriksson (his 27th goal of the season), a second comeback proved to be too much for Boston to handle in Game 1 of a four-game road swing that really only gets harder from here.

Defenseman Brent Burns scored his 28th goal of the season for San Jose, while Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask stopped 24-of-27 in the losing effort.

The Boston power play went 0-for-1, while San Jose finished the night 1-for-4.

Random thoughts and notes

- This one is hard to swallow for the Bruins, really. They played good -- definitely not great -- and I’d make the case that they played well enough to earn at least a point. But they didn’t, and such is life. It’s the simplified way of looking at things, but when you’re a bounce or two away from tying, or perhaps winning, can you really bring the pitchforks out after losing to a reloaded Sharks group? No.

Other side of the coin? This was the one game you sort of penciled in as the likely victory on this California road swing given the way both the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings are playing right now. So now what becomes the best case scenario for the next two games? Two points? A single point?

One of a possible six points is a grim outlook, of course, but it’s also somewhat realistic, no?

This isn’t to suggest that the Bruins are bad, or that they’re in a slump (this was their first regulation loss since the trade deadline), but that their next two opponents are among the league’s elite. In fact, they might be the two best teams in the league. Or two of the league’s top four at the very least. (These teams also beat up on you by a combined 15-to-4 in your two prior head-to-heads, too.)

The Bruins are not at their level, and that’s fine. But leaving Cali with 0-of-6? That would not be fine.

- Rough night for Jimmy Hayes. Two minors (the second of which led to Donskoi’s game-winning tally), and a near invisible night in the attacking zone. In Hayes’ defense, his hooking call against Matt Nieto was trash of the highest degree, but still, you’re noticing Hayes for all the wrong reasons. Credited with one hit, one blocked shot, and zero shots on goal in 22 shifts, Hayes now has just one goal in his last 17 games played, and has Frank Vatrano, up with the team (though it’s currently on an emergency recall basis), knocking at the door for a spot on the Boston wing.

- A positive? The play of the Krejci line with Eriksson and David Pastrnak on the wing. Pastrnak really is the true game-changer when it comes to what the Bruins can and will do this spring. There’s just another gear to his game right now, and I think it does come back down to the fact that he’s finally healthy, and with chemistry already there between No. 21 and No. 46, that’s a mere bonus.

Up next

It’s on to Anaheim where the Black and Gold will square off with a Ducks team that’s won seven of their last 10 overall, and 22 of 35 at home this season. The Ducks, who have seemingly always had the Bruins’ number, beat up on the Bruins by a whopping 6-2 final at TD Garden back on Jan. 26.
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