After the Boston Bruins’ morning skate at Warrior Ice Arena on Tuesday morning, head coach Marco Sturm said that his team would be ready to go against the Montreal Canadiens after a bad 6-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Sunday night at the TD Garden.
“Those are the games that are really fun to play in, to be part of. Before Christmas, we have some days off, big game for us,” Sturm said. “My guys will be ready today, that’s what I can say.”
When the dust settled, the Bruins were tied 2-2 through 40 minutes, but Boston completely imploded by taking penalties, giving the Canadiens two 5-on-3 power plays, and they made them pay with two power play goals as part of a four-goal outburst in what was a rout over the final 20 minutes in a 6-2 win.
The losses end the Bruins’ homestand at 1-3-1, and they head into the holiday break as a wounded team. After their break, they have a five-game road trip that is essentially the season. A 1-3-1 road trip, and they will bury themselves in the playoff race in the Eastern Conference.
Bruins mistakes costly in blowout loss to Canadiens at home
Boston should have had the lead after 40 minutes. First, Montreal’s first goal was the product of a Mason Lohrei turnover. Yes, he made up for it with a nice assist on a Marat Khusnutdinov goal to tie the game, but those mistakes continue to happen way too much.
After Alex Steeves gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead late in the opening period with a power play goal, miscommunication at center ice early in the second period led to a breakaway goal for Ivan Demidov to tie the game. Then things changed with 4.7 seconds left in the second period.
Elias Lindholm scored to give the Bruins the lead, apparently, but the goal was waived off by the officials who ruled David Pastrnak interfered with Montreal goalie Jacob Fowler. It was Juraj Slafkovsky who actually interfered with Fowler, but Sturm never challenged.
Now that may not have changed the outcome in the third period, where the Bruins were outplayed big time, and frustration led to a parade to the penalty box, but it sums up their recent stretch. A 1-3-1 homestand has them chasing points in the standings now after the break.
A five-game road trip that is going to be difficult begins against the Buffalo Sabres, who have won seven games in a row. By the end of the game on Saturday in Western New York, Boston and Toronto could be sitting in the basement of the Atlantic Division standings. Not good.