The Columbus Blue Jackets came into Boston ready to play against the Bruins. The inconsistent slump continues, as the Blue Jackets defeated the Bruins 5-1. The Bruins tested the Blue Jackets early and often, but Elvis Merzlikins shut the door and was a large reason for the victory.
Inability to Capitalize on Their Chances
Based on how this game was going, you’d think the Bruins were facing Patrick Roy at the other end of the rink. Credit to goaltender Merzlikins, who like Joonas Korpisalo is enjoying a resurgent season. Coming into the game, he had a 2.92 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage (SV%). It is an improvement from the 2023-24 season and the Bruins had trouble solving him.
It took the Bruins a moment to settle into the game, as the Blue Jackets scored two goals and got the jump on them early. Once they did settle in, the Bruins put pressure on the Blue Jackets and had good shifts in the offensive zone. The first period alone was a high event period, having 1.42 expected goals in all situations. The Bruins got multiple grade-A chances, including one by Trent Frederic that didn’t go in. They did a good job of continuing to generate quality looks, but could not solve Merzlikins.
Throughout the course of the game, the Bruins generated 13 high-danger shot attempts, with nine reaching the net. In addition, they generated 3.25 expected goals. The opportunities were there and they were getting quality looks, but an inability to finish their chances proved to be costly in this contest.
Merzlikins was strong in net and a large reason the Blue Jackets got the two points. He finished with 2.25 goals saved above expected and a .967 SV%. The Bruins were the better team in terms of controlling the puck, but got blanked by the better goalie.
Bruins’ Power Play Breaks Through
The Bruins’ power play has been a mess. Despite spending the most time on the power play of any team in the league, they sit dead last in power play success rate at 11.3%. The power play is predictable. They will cycle the puck in the zone and maintain possession until they find David Pastrnak wide-open for the perfect shot. Execution has not been there and it is an aspect of the game that needs to improve. Finally, the power play broke through in this game and gave the Bruins life.
Related: Bruins Have to Address Lack of Execution on the Power Play
Charlie Coyle got the scoring started for the Bruins. It was not just that the unit scored a goal, but how it was scored. After a dump-in by Mason Lohrei, Justin Brazeau set up Coyle in the slot for the goal. The Bruins have had trouble generating chances from the inner slot, so having that success was great to see.
The Bruins were able to generate looks from all over the ice. While they utilized the perimeters and shot the puck from the point, the biggest chances came from the slot. They were able to find open space in the middle and get quality looks.
The unit may have scored one goal, but the fact that they broke through is huge to see. There’s a downside though for the power play and that is the fact that the Blue Jackets scored two short-handed goals. So the majority of the time the Bruins aren’t capitalizing and the other team is.
Coyle, Frederic, and Merkulov Were Dominant
If there was a line that truly dominated the game and made an impact, it was the Bruins’ third line. They were relentless on puck pursuits and did a tremendous job taking the attack to the Blue Jackets’ defense. It was not just as a trio, but individually as well. Their puck possession translated into offense, as Frederic led the team in expected goals for percentage (xGF%) with 90.41, factoring into 1.41 xGF. Coyle was right behind (1.4) and Merkulov with 1.3. The young prospect has been a bright spot since being called up from the Providence Bruins.
As a trio, they were the Bruins’ best line. They held the edge in shot attempts (10-3) and outshot the opposition 4-0. They did a tremendous job of suppressing the opposition and taking to the attack, dominating the expected goals share 0.69-0.06. The individual impacts they all had translated to success as a cohesive line. If there was a silver lining and a positive to take from this game, it was this.
Good, But Not Enough
The Bruins played a good enough game to win. More often than not they controlled possession and generated quality looks. Merzlikins was a brick wall and the Bruins’ power play gave the Blue Jackets chances that they capitalized on. The effort was good, but was not enough to get the two points.
