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Bruins stifled by Predators in shutout loss

February 19, 2016, 3:09 AM ET [40 Comments]
Ty Anderson
Boston Bruins Blogger •Bruins Feature Columnist • RSSArchiveCONTACT
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The last time the Boston Bruins beat a team currently within the playoff picture -- in either the Eastern or Western Conference -- was all the way back on Dec. 18. That ugly stat did not change two months later to the day, either, as the B’s skated off on the wrong side of a 2-0 final at Bridgestone Arena in their Thursday night showdown against Pekka Rinne and the Nashville Predators.

Nashville struck just 2:51 into the first behind Craig Smith’s 15th goal of the year. His second goal in as many games, Smith’s goal came off a fortunate bounce that took Boston captain Zdeno Chara away from the front of the net and towards the corner (where the puck did not bounce).

Smith’s tally came with helpers from linemates Filip Forsberg (primary) and Mike Ribeiro.

The line wasn’t done, either, as Forsberg added on to the Preds’ lead with their second goal of the period, scored at 14:37, Forsberg’s 20th of the season, scored off a Tuukka Rask rebound.

The Bruins outshot the Predators by a 19-to-11 mark in the final 40 minutes of play, but it didn’t matter, as Rinne stonewalled the Bruins en route to his third shutout of the season.

Boston’s power play went 0-for-4, while Rask stopped 22-of-24 in the loss.

Random thoughts and notes

- Nashville totally stifled the B’s entries into the attacking zone. Especially on the power play. Countless efforts to carry the puck into the o-zone were met with four Predators smothering the puck-carrier and ultimately forcing a turnover or clear. This was especially true for second-year pro David Pastrnak, who had a total nightmare of a third period, in the loss.

- But the Bruins’ struggles on the man advantage went beyond their struggles to get into the attacking zone. David Krejci, playing the point on the first unit all season long, really struggled to carry the puck and make plays up the ice. This has been an issue for a few games now, too. Truth is, though, that the Bruins do not really have another viable option to plug into Krejci’s spot at the point if they’re trying to shake things up. With Colin Miller in Providence, Zach Trotman would be the likeliest fit, but it’s not as if his game with the puck has been anything spectacular enough to push Krejci off.

- It’s been a rough week for Chara, to say the least. The 38-year-old captain has struggled at times this year (the revolving door of subpar pairing partners hasn’t necessarily helped), but this week just might be his worst. Chara was on the ice for all six of Detroit’s goals in their 6-5 victory over the Bruins on Sunday. He then committed the penalty that led to Alexander Wennberg’s penalty shot goal on Tuesday night (the lone goal of the Jackets’ overtime loss to the Bruins). And he was on the ice for both Nashville goals Thursday night. To call Chara the problem is a massive stretch. I just think it’s tough to be a true No. 1 when you’re surrounded by No. 3s, 4s, and 5s -- and the Bruins have lots of 5s right now, whether that’s through injuries or the development of their younger defenders. But you can’t help feel as if you just need more from the 6-foot-9 former Norris favorite. At the same time, though, it’s hard to imagine Chara being able to give you much more if he doesn’t have better support from 2-6. Or a partner that gives you any confidence in Chara being able to do his thing. Like any. Any at all.

Up next

It’s on to the final game of this six-game road swing for the Bruins, and undoubtedly the toughest, with a Saturday night tilt against the Dallas Stars. Led by a hat trick from ex-Bruin Tyler Seguin, the Stars whipped the Bruins around in their last head-to-head, a 5-3 final at TD Garden on Nov. 3. And though Dallas took a loss in their last game, a 6-3 final against the Arizona Coyotes, they’ll enter play with seven wins in their last 10 games and 20 wins in 27 home tilts this season. Could be ugly.

Ty Anderson has been covering the National Hockey League for HockeyBuzz.com since 2010, has been a member of the Pro Hockey Writers Association's Boston Chapter since 2013, and can be contacted on Twitter, or emailed at Ty.AndersonHB[at]gmail.com.
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