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Sloppiness all-around as Bruins drop Game 2 in double-overtime |
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As a Bruins fan, Saturday’s double-overtime Game 2 loss certainly had you shaking your head throughout the 80+ minutes of Stanley Cup Playoff hockey.
Some of those headshakes came from Bruins turnovers, Bruins drop passes that were left for nobody, or from times when the shot was there, but instead, a pass was made—see below, Jake DeBrusk.
Some of those headshakes also came with you asking yourself “how the heck did he save that?” or “how did that not go in?” Because once again Sergei Bobrovsky was lights out for the Blue Jackets.
Many of the wounds suffered by the Bruins in Game 2 were self-inflicted. The two regulation goals by Artemi Panarin came after the Bruins turned the puck over. Zdeno Chara’s failure at a clearing attempt, and Charlie Coyle’s pass to a wide open Seth Jones in the slot were the plays that led to the first two Blue Jackets goals.
On Matt Duchene’s power play game-winner in double-overtime, the Bruins had two chances to clear the zone, but twice Jones was able to save the puck at the blueline and it made the difference in the Bruins loss.
Puck management wasn’t the Bruins only self-inflicted wound on Saturday, decision making was one as well.
In the third, the Bruins were back to pass-happy Bruins, as Jake DeBrusk decided being all-alone in front of the Blue Jackets net after an offensive zone turnover was too good of an opportunity to take advantage of. His pass to a trailing Pastrnak was just another brain fart in a long night of Bruins brain farts, as Pastrnak’s shot was slowed down by Jones’ stick, making a save attempt for Bobrovsky an easy one.
Despite Matt Grzelcyk’s power play tally to open the scoring in the first period, the Bruins power play was another part of their game that left you shaking your head.
The Bruins had a golden opportunity in the second as Josh Anderson cut Sean Kuraly with his stick during a Blue Jackets power play. But in the ensuing 2:46 of power play time, the Bruins put a whopping zero pucks on net, in what was one of many wasted opportunities.
As costly as the Bruins mistakes were, they certainly had their chances to regain the lead in regulation, or win the game in overtime. But for the second straight game, Bobrovsky was an absolute monster between the pipes.
Even with Bobrovsky playing as well as he did, where the Bruins goals are coming from is starting to become an issue.
Secondary scoring is an important part of winning hockey games, especially in the playoffs. But when your secondary scoring becomes your primary scoring, well, you have a problem.
Since the start of Game 7 in their series with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the last 10 Bruins goals have come from Joakim Nordstrom, Marcus Johansson, Sean Kurlay, Charlie Coyle (empty net), Patrice Bergeron (empty net), Noel Acciari, Coyle, Coyle, Matt Grzelcyk and a puck off the skate of David Pastrnak.
After a regular season that saw Brad Marchand, Bergeron and Pastrnak tear up the National Hockey League, it’s a bit alarming to only see Bergeron and Pastrnak’s names appear once apiece on the above list.
There are several reasons behind the Bruins double-overtime Game 2 loss Saturday night, or Sunday morning I should say, and why the Bruins head to Columbus tied at one in what is now a best-of-five series.
One of those reasons is because the Bruins top goal scorers are not scoring goals.
My biggest concern with the Bruins top-six lies in Pastrnak who looks nothing like the Pastrnak we saw toy with opponents throughout the regular season.
Sure, it was nice to see Pastrnak’s name on the scoresheet in Game 2, but that was no David Pastrnak goal. A guy with the skillset Pastrnak has, doesn’t luck his way into a goal by having a wrap-around attempt go in off his skate.
“To me, I still think he’s indecisive whether to shoot or pass,” said head coach Bruce Cassidy.
“You’d see it on the power play; when it looks like he should shoot, he makes a play. And then when the opportunity is there to make a play, it’s forced. He’s just gotta fight his way through it.”
Pastrnak started the night on a line with Marchand and Bergeron, but things did not start well for the trio, so Cassidy moved Pastrnak through the Krejci line, and even the Coyle line.
It wasn't quite five-on-five where Cassidy saw problems with his three top scoring threats Saturday night into Sunday morning, it was on the power play.
“I think where they could’ve done better tonight as a group, but they’re part of that group, is the power play. Clearly, that’s the place to get going offensively, and we didn’t execute well enough,” said Cassidy.
“We’re forcing plays and not executing the plays we should, and they’re part of that group, so that’s where – if I’m going to lay blame on them – it’s more in that area than 5v5. I think they’ve generated some stuff. It just hasn’t gone in.”
A bounce one way, or a bounce another and we could be talking about a 2-0 series lead for the Bruins, or even a 2-0 series lead for the Blue Jackets.
But one thing is for sure, if the Bruins have any plans of making an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals, they’re going to need to bring a much better all-around game to Columbus.
Boston Bruins Blogger • 
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