By: Chad Jones I Follow me on Twitter/X @ShutUpChadJones
On Tuesday night, the Boston Bruins mounted a furious third period comeback to beat the St. Louis Blues 3-2. After the emotional road win, the Bruins looked to keep that momentum alive on their trip to Dallas, where they would take on a well-rested Stars squad coming off a 7-1 thumping of the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday.
The matchup proved overwhelming for Boston, as Jeremy Swayman allowed a career-high seven goals in the 7-2 defeat. Hampus Lindholm, who Jim Montgomery said would be out of the lineup for the foreseeable future with a lower-body injury, was severely missed in Boston’s backend.
The Stars peppered Boston all game, as Dallas finished with 38 shots on goal and recorded double digits in each period, compared to just 25 for the Black and Gold. Dallas accumulated nearly 40 shots on Swayman with a mere two power play opportunities. The second Stars’ score came courtesy of Evgenii Dadonov’s first period penalty shot. The other six Dallas lamp-lighters were all even-strength goals.
The Stars’ ability to generate so much offensive production despite failing to score on their two-man advantages is problematic. Boston has struggled this season with staying out of the box and stymying opponents’ power play opportunities. On a night when the Bruins stayed disciplined regarding penalties, the goaltending, defense, and forward play failed to keep the puck out of the net when skating five against five.
This loss highlights a significant problem for this Bruins team. Boston has been unable to build off victories and mount winning streaks effectively. Whenever it appears the Bruins have found their game and secured two points, they have consistently faltered afterward. Boston has yet to win three games in a row and has only been victorious in back-to-back contests twice in their first 18 games.
“It’s been frustrating all year that we haven’t been able to string three to four consistent games where we feel our habits and details are consistently there,” Montgomery told the media postgame.
The game was lost for Boston at the end of the second period. At the time, the Bruins were trailing 2-1 with less than six minutes to go in the frame. Dallas put the game out of reach by potting three scores before the siren sounded. Dadonov’s second tally of the game, with just 11 seconds remaining in the period, left Andy Brickley incredulous in NESN’s booth.
“Almost looked like the Bruins stopped playing, Judd,” said the Bruins long-time color analyst. “There’s still time on the clock, and there’s just not enough back pressure. There’s not good enough coverage.”
The Bruins’ current record is 8-8-2, and they claim the third spot in the Atlantic Division. However, the Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators, and Buffalo Sabers all have 17 points and have games in hand over Boston.
The Bruins need to start finding consistency in their game if they want to turn their season around. Every time Boston appears to turn a new leaf, they stumble back into sloppy habits. It is impossible to gain traction during this 82-game grind if the details are ignored. Boston has played too many games so far this season where their commitment to those details has not been good enough.
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