Aren’t the Boston Bruins sick of that seat in the penalty box?
At this point, there’s got to be a big ass groove in that bench, as one of the league’s biggest teams continues to also be one of the most undisciplined. The B’s racked up 10 more penalty minutes on Thursday night, and they spend less actual time in the sin bin, because the Dallas Stars made them pay with three power play goals, all in a back-breaking second period.
Bruins captain Brad Marchand and head coach Jim Montgomery spoke earlier on Thursday about the importance of simply playing faster and more aggressively and tolerating “good” penalties, and avoiding bad ones. Marchand’s high-sticking infraction came in the midst of a gritty puck battle, so you can live with that. But his needless, not-subtle-enough cross-check away from the play? Can’t have it.
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“We’ve got to get back to playing the right way for 60 minutes and doing the right things all the time and understanding that success is hard, and we need to play a hard game to win,” Marchand said after the game. “That’s how we’ve always won, and we just need to get back to that.”
David Pastrnak’s hooking penalty just 11 seconds into the second period was the epitome of the kind that the Bruins should be trying to eliminate. He falls a step behind a puck-carrier, and tries to do too much with his stick in a desperate attempt to play catch-up. Naturally, the puck was behind Jeremy Swayman 12 seconds later, and the Stars never looked back. Pastrnak later took a tripping penalty in the offensive zone, leading to yet another power play goal, which ultimately put the game out of reach.
“I honestly can’t remember taking this many penalties in my career,” said Pastrnak, who is up to 14 penalty minutes through eight games, second-most on the team. “Definitely bad on my part. I can’t put the team in a shorthanded situation twice in one game. So, yeah, I definitely took too many penalties today and definitely got to take care of my stick.”
Poitras gets ‘comfortable’ at wing
Oct 24, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins center Matthew Poitras (51) and Dallas Stars defenseman Esa Lindell (23) chase after the puck during the third period at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)
One of the few Bruins who managed to be an overall positive on the night was second-year forward Matthew Poitras, who logged an assist with a plus-1. He seemed to get the message from Montgomery on playing aggressive, fast, and fearless, as he set up the first Boston goal of the night by driving hard behind the net and intercepting a D-to-D pass during 4-on-4 action.
Poitras played a third-line right wing role, which allows him to simplify his game and play faster than he would playing center. The Bruins need offensive production wherever they can get it, so putting one of their fastest, most skilled players in a more scoring-focused spot seems like the right move at the moment.
“Obviously the wing is a bit more simple, and I felt comfortable there,” Poitras said after the game. “Obviously throughout the game there’s a few plays I’d like to have back. But, I felt pretty comfortable making plays, coming back on pucks, and just possessing.”
Montogmery continually puts the Bruins’ lines in a blender, so it’s a wonder where Poitras will line up from game to game. He should be a center in the long-term, but right now, it would be wise to keep him at wing and turn him loose offensively.
Brazeau responds well after benching
Oct 24, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins right wing Justin Brazeau (55) tries to tuck the puck past Dallas Stars goaltender Casey DeSmith (1) while defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) defends during the third period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Montgomery has had mixed results in his efforts to spark players by scratching them for a game and re-inserting them, but the move worked wonders for Justin Brazeau. The towering winger cashed in on a Bruins power play in the second period, which helped keep a potential laugher interesting.
The goal was Brazeau’s first of the season, and only his second point in six games. He wasn’t the first player to be benched for a lack of production, but others sent to the standing-room-only section haven’t responded so well.
The Bruins had a team-high 78.6% five-on-five shot attempt rate with Brazeau on the ice Thursday night (13-3). The winger has certainly earned himself a chance to stay in the lineup with his effort against the Stars.
A historic struggle
Oct 24, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene (95) reacts with center Tyler Seguin (91) and defenseman Thomas Harley (55) after scoring a goal during the first period against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
The Bruins are merely one game under .500 in terms of wins and losses, but considering how hot they’ve started in recent years, it feels like an epic slog. The B’s lost their season opener for just the second time since losing the first game of the 2018-19 season opener six years ago, and have yet to gain consistent momentum.
And while it may still be severely early, this is the latest into the season that the B’s have been sub-.500 since 2017, when they fell to 6-7-4 after a loss to the Ducks on Nov. 15. The B’s, under Bruce Cassidy at the time, would finish that season 50-20-12, which alone is proof that eight games is too soon to write a team off.
But for the Bruins to have more losses than wins even this “late” into the campaign is jarring. And the more the losses continue to pile up, the more the heat could be turned up on Montgomery.
