The Boston Bruins returned home from a three-game road trip and had a date with the Dallas Stars. Fortunately, they did not have to face Jake Oettinger. However, that did not matter, as Casey DeSmith helped slam the door shut and stifle the Bruins’ offense.
The Stars shipped into Boston and took a commanding 5-2 victory against the Bruins to improve to 6-2 on the season. The Bruins started the game strong, but got into penalty trouble and that’s where the Stars went to work.
Bruins’ Penalty Troubles Prove to Be Costly
You could have the best penalty-killing unit in the league, but if you take enough penalties the opposing team will make you pay eventually. For the Bruins, they’ve made the penalty box their vacation home and have taken trips there quite often. Coming into the game against the Stars, the Bruins were the most penalized team in the entire league. Safe to say, they sure kept that trend going and it would cost them the game.
Of the seven goals that were scored, four came during special teams play. For the Stars, they took advantage of their opportunities and cashed in with the man advantage. In what was a 1-1 tie after the first period became a 4-1 deficit due to undisciplined play.
The Stars weren’t just good with the man advantage, they were efficient. Once they entered the zone, it was like clockwork with them cycling the puck and creating chances. They generated nine shot attempts and four shots on goal. Of the four shots, three of them lit the lamp. That’s efficient and that was the difference in this game. Also, it was not just that the Stars capitalized and scored goals, but where the goals came from.
Whether it was five on five or on the power play, the Stars’ offense made a point to get to the inner slot. The Bruins’ defense had no answer for it and the coverage was lacking. With each of the three Stars’ power play goals, they made crisp passes right into the slot and punched them home.
The Stars went three for five on the power play, good for a 60% success rate.
Top Line Played Their Best Game
Despite the loss, there are positives to take away from this game. Changes were made to the lineup, but a line that did remain the same was the Bruins’ top line. Head coach Jim Montgomery opted to keep Brad Marchand, Elias Lindholm, and David Pastrnak together. This is a good thing because they can now continue to build chemistry and try to string together some good shifts.
This was the best game they’ve played all season and the strongest the top line had looked during five-on-five play. The goals will come, but the fact that they are generating chances is a strong sign. Breathe everyone. Just breathe.
They were the best forward line for the Bruins and came flying right out of the gate. They looked quicker and played with a sense of urgency. When on the ice, the trio finished with a Corsi for percentage of 65% and out-attempted the Stars 13-7. It was not just the quantity of chances, but they were able to get some quality chances. They were able to get to the high-danger areas, and generate the most scoring chances of any Bruins line combination.
Pastrnak scored his goal getting a great pass from Matthew Poitras. This top line has managed to generate their looks and the goals will come eventually.
Five-on-Five Offense Was Better
As good as the top line was in this game, the offense at five-on-five was better. Granted, the penalties sway things a little bit, but the Bruins managed to impact the game when played on an even field.
The Bruins got the quantity, but also the quality. Granted, it was a lower-event game, but they held the edge in shot attempts, shots on goal, and expected goals. That’s a boost of confidence going into the next game.
The only glaring issue is the goal-scoring at five-on-five. The team needs more of it and is starving for offense. This is a step in the right direction, but they need more.
Bruins Need to Bounce Back
The Bruins are currently on a three-game losing streak. It’s better to get these growing pains out of the way now and not in March. But they need to stay out of the penalty box because it’s beginning to bite them. Their next game is Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs and it will be a good opportunity for the top line to build off what they did in this game. Buckle up, Saturday is going to be a doozy.
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