Not all ‘loser points’ are created equal.

In fact, the point banked away by the Bruins in Monday’s shootout loss to the Avalanche at Denver’s Ball Arena is something that dare I say the Bruins should almost feel good about earning.

Matched up against the speedier and more skillful Avalanche, the Bruins erased two separate deficits in regulation, and even survived a late-game penalty kill to send this game to overtime. (It was one of six trips to the kill the Bruins made throughout the night, and without defenseman and penalty-killing rock Brandon Carlo for the third period).

The Avs should’ve ended things on that late-game power-play opportunity, too, if we’re being honest. Cale Makar was set up for a beauty of a one-time bomb from about eight feet out with just over two minutes remaining in regulation. It didn’t go. And then Nathan MacKinnon found himself alone in front of the Boston net about 30 seconds later. How many teams out there can survive two close calls with talents like that?

• Of course, on the other side of the coin, the Bruins did let an overtime power-play opportunity slip through their fingers. That was absolutely the B’s best chance to put the Avalanche to bed, and despite countless looks, the Bruins did not capitalize on their chances as well as they should have, with two frustrating ‘force’ plays from David Pastrnak that led to clears from the Avs.

  In addition to the loss, the Bruins also saw their recent scoring surge come to an end, as the Bruins scored ‘just’ three goals in the loss. That put an end to what was a six-game stretch of at least four goals for Boston, which was their longest such run on that front since Nov. 2011.

  Here are the 98.5 The Sports Hub (dot com) 3 Stars from a shootout loss in Colorado…

• No. 3 Star: Cale Makar

  

  DENVER, COLORADO – DECEMBER 09: Cale Makar #8 of the Colorado Avalanche plays the Philadelphia Flyers in the second period at Ball Arena on December 09, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

• My goodness, Cale Makar is something.

  I mean, even on a night where Makar had just one assist, this guy was all over the ice for Colorado.

  Deployed for 31:17 of time on ice, Makar came through the secondary assist on Mikko Rantanen’s power-play marker, and was Colorado’s most aggressive player in the overtime frame. Makar led a 2-on-1 chance that led to a Jonathan Drouin chance that nearly beat Jeremy Swayman, and Makar pressed hard on Pastrnak with the B’s on the man advantage and even turned it into a partial breakaway that just missed.

  Dude is just an absolute freak.

• No. 2 Star: Brad Marchand

  

  Jan 8, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) celebrates his goal with defenseman Matt Grzelcyk (48) in the third period against the Avalanche at Ball Arena. (Isaiah J. Downing/USA TODAY Sports)

• On a night where the Bruins didn’t have too much juice, team captain Brad Marchand led the way for the Black and Gold, with two goals (on two shots) and two hits in over 20 minutes of time on ice.

  Brad Marchand opens the scoring for the Bruins on the power play.
  
  1-0 Boston. pic.twitter.com/svElg5HMmE

  — Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) January 9, 2024

  “Marchy was terrific,” Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery said. “I thought he led really well, and he was very vocal on the bench about how we need to get to our game and explaining to his teammates what we had to do.”

  Brad Marchand scores his 17th goal of the season.
  
  He passes Rick Middleton for sole possession of fifth place on the Bruins' all-time scoring list.
  
  3-3 game. pic.twitter.com/djP6p8eobk

  — Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) January 9, 2024

  The two-goal performance also continued what’s been a solid heater for No. 63, as he has now recorded points in 12 of his last 17 games. Marchand has recorded 10 goals and 18 points over that 17-game run, too.

• No. 1 Star: Jeremy Swayman

  

  Jan 8, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) before the game against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. (Isaiah J. Downing/USA TODAY Sports)

• Let’s call it like it is: The Bruins would’ve been run out of the building tonight had it not been for the performance of netminder Jeremy Swayman. Point blank.

  The Bruins crushed their own goaltender when Pavel Zacha and Kevin Shattenkirk collided and gave Logan O’Connor an easy strike, and while you can make the case that the Sam Malinski goal was a stoppable shot, Swayman more than made up for it throughout the night.

  Jeremy Swayman's brilliance robbed us of what could have been an awesome game-winning goal pic.twitter.com/z49jjVU6cw

  — AJ Haefele (@returnofaj) January 9, 2024

  Swayman did the bulk of his damage with the Bruins down a man, too, as he came through with nine stops on 10 shots against with the B’s on the penalty kill. He was also nails during Boston’s late-game kill.

  Swayman slides across to make the clutch stop in OT! 🛑 pic.twitter.com/Mrny9uONiY

  — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 9, 2024

  And in overtime, Swayman came through with an excellent stop on a 2-on-1, and looked poised throughout. He also stopped Colorado’s first two shootout attempts before he surrendered the winner in the bottom of the third round, and with zero support from the Bruins, who went 0-for-3 in the shootout.

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