2 Truths & a Lie From Bruins Overtime Loss to Blues

Another game where the Bruins fail to generate many scoring chances and lose in overtime.

Just when you think the Boston Bruins are beginning, the key word being beginning, to move in the right direction, they revert to their frustrating ways. After scoring three third-period goals on Tuesday night to rally for a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues, they go to Dallas two nights later and get smoked by the Stars, 7-2.

Returning home to a quick turnaround with an afternoon game on Saturday at the TD Garden, the Bruins were hoping to beat the Blues for a second time in four days. It didn't happen. Boston managed just 17 shots on the net in the game, six in the first, five in the second, six in the third and zero in overtime to lose to St. Louis in overtime after allowing the tying goal midway through the third. Here is two truths and a lie after Boston fell to 8-8-3 this season.

Truth: Bruins continue self-inflected mistakes

Stop me if you've heard this before, self-inflected mistakes by the Bruins continue to be a problem. In the first period, a lazy turnover at center ice led to a Blues' counter rush and the in the middle of a change, they were called for too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty. To make worse, the turnover was on a 3-on-2 break.

St. Louis tied the game when Nathan Walker scored at 9:18 of the third period when Boston couldn't get the puck out of their defensive end. They failed to get pucks out at the blue line, lost multiple board battles, and left Walker alone at the top of the slot. In overtime, Jordan Oesterle made a pass to Charlie Coyle who was standing still which led to a turnover and game-winning goal from the Blues.

Truth: Joonas Korpisalo only reason Bruins grabbed a point

After his dismal performance on opening night, Joonas Korpisalo has slowly been getting better and better. Slowly. I'm not ready to say that he'll be fine, but he was the only reason the Black and Gold got a point on Saturday afternoon.

Korpisalo made 28 saves and you need a save from him on the game-winner, but again, they're not in overtime with a piece of the trade for Linus Ullmark. He made multiple big saves in regulation on point-blank chances. Again, yes, the Bruins need a save in overtime, but they were lucky to even get the loser point.

Lie: Bruins are a playoff team

Sorry, but right now, this doesn't look like a team that is a playoff team. Too many mistakes in all three zones, poor play in the defensive end, and the lack of generating any kind of chances offensively remain to be troublesome.

St. Louis is decimated with injuries on defense, missing four of their top-six and the Bruins still failed to generate many chances offensively after the first period. Whatever the problem is, unless things change quickly, they'll start to slide down the standings in the Eastern Conference.

After an off day on Sunday, the Bruins will play the second of their three-game homestand on Monday night when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets, before the Utah Hockey Club makes their only Boston appearance on Thursday night.