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It’s not that the Boston Bruins do not know how to play the Montreal Canadiens, who by way of their 3-1 victory at TD Garden on Sunday night swept the season series with the Black and Gold for the first time since 2007-08, but rather every mistake the B’s make is magnified by a thousand. Or put in the back of their net. (What’s the difference when you’re going against a five-man shot-blocking unit and Carey Price?)
In a game devoid of red lights until Dale Weise’s ninth goal of the season, scored on Boston’s doorstep just 38 seconds into the second period, the B’s comeback bid went flat despite numerous opportunities in the second period, and was pronounced dead just 50 seconds into the third.
On a blown chance between Zdeno Chara and Dougie Hamilton -- both players went for the puck, collided, and gave the Canadiens a breakaway (with numbers) -- Montreal’s Max Pacioretty put a wrister through Rask and gave the Habs a deathgrip two-goal edge in the third.
“The winning goal is a terrible goal to give up,… a frustrated Claude Julien said. “Two defensemen colliding in the o-zone, we have a tendency to shoot ourselves in the foot for whatever reason against them and the kind of goals we give them are certainly not the kind of goals you see from our team most of the time.…
Boston countered with a David Pastrnak goal 15:29 into the third, but the strike did little besides end a brutal 159:25 shutout streak against Price and company, as Andrei Markov sealed the deal with an empty-net strike with just 30 seconds left in the game.
Frustration was aplenty inside a B’s room that’s failed to taste a home win against the Habs since Jan. 2012.
“It wasn’t our best game. Same stuff we’ve been doing earlier in the year,… said Rask. “We got away from those habits and now it looks like it’s heading towards the bad stuff again. Not too happy with that I guess.…
Rask finished his night with 31 saves, kept the Bruins in this one, and though his career record against the Habs took yet another hit, the reigning Vezina is taking the positives from his performance.
“It’s always frustrating when you play a good game and fall short, but it’s a team game and we battle through these things together,… noted Rask. “It’s a loss, of course against Montreal so it doesn’t make the record better, but I feel like my game is in the right place and just keep plugging away.…
If the Bruins and Canadiens are to meet again this year, it’ll be for a playoff series, and though an 0-4-0 mark against their rivals to the north doesn’t give you much hope, Rask feels that his club can adjust.
“A lot of times we force plays and try to make cross-ice passes and then we get caught sleeping. They come out on two-on-ones, breakaways, three-on-ones, stuff like that cause they try to sneak behind us all the time,… the 27-year-old said. “It’s just being mentally aware of what’s going on and just play our game. Carey [Price] is a pretty good goalie in there so he’s gonna stop what he sees so you need those second hand opportunities and screens to get some goals. Today, we didn’t do that, but if it’s a playoff series, it’s what we gotta do.…
Random thoughts and notes
- You have to wonder what Julien plans on doing to get Reilly Smith going here. For the second game in a row, Smith was moved off the Bergeron line due to his struggles, and finished the night with just 13:20 of time on ice, and logged just six third-period shifts. It’s clear that the Bruins would prefer to keep David Pastrnak on that first line with David Krejci and Milan Lucic -- which was actually one of Smith’s better fits this season -- putting Smith in a situation where it’s seemingly Bergeron line or bust.
- The Habs block just about everything with the hopes of a fortunate bounce. And that’s something the Bruins are aware of, and something that I think takes some of what makes them so successful out of their playbook.
“The thing with them is our D are concerned about them blowing the zone every time,… Boston winger Brad Marchand told HockeyBuzz.com after the game. “If there’s any chance of a turnover they’re blowing and it’s tough for the D really. They want to make sure that they get the shots through, so it’s tough on everyone. They do a good job and you just have to find ways to get it through.…
Montreal finished tonight’s contest with 21 blocked shots.
- Could be something, could be nothing-- Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Dave Nonis was in the building tonight, as was Boston Bruins pro scout Adam Creighton, a scout based out of Ontario. The Leafs’ plans for a firesale are well documented at this point, and with cheap forwards like Daniel Winnik and Mike Santorelli on the table, they could seemingly be fits. Or perhaps Cody Franson, a solid top-four defender with offensive upside, could be of interest to the Bruins.
Up next
The Bruins will wrap up this quick three-game homestand with a Tuesday night visit from Tyler Seguin and the Dallas Stars. Dallas rolls into the Hub on the heels of a Sunday night win in New York, and wins in five of their last 10. The Bruins took their prior meeting by a 3-1 final in Dallas on Jan. 20.
Ty Anderson has been covering the Boston Bruins for HockeyBuzz.com since 2010, is a member of the Pro Hockey Writers Association's Boston Chapter, and can be contacted on Twitter, or emailed at Ty.AndersonHB[at]gmail.com