Since the All-Star Break, the Boston Bruins have struggled, to say the least. Holding onto leads, and struggles on the power play are just a few of the struggles that Jim Montgomery’s team is going through. If there is a way to sum up their struggles, it was on their recent four-game road trip where they struggled on the man advantage and holding onto third-period leads. It’s becoming a big concern at this point.
As they return home for one game, let’s fire up another Bruins 3 Up, 3 Down.
Plus One: Jeremy Swayman
Since the All-Star Break, the Bruins have struggled but one of the main reasons why they have been able to get some points in the standings is because of the play of Jeremy Swayman. Against the Dallas Stars in a 4-3 shootout win, he made 43 saves, then turned back eight straight in the shootout including former teammate Craig Smith on the final shot.
On the recent four-game road trip, he made 37 saves in a 6-5 overtime win over the Edmonton Oilers, then he made 36 saves three nights later in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks. He has been better this season than Linus Ullmark and if the postseason started today, he would be the starter. He certainly has been good during the Black and Gold’s struggles to help them secure points in the standings to keep pace with the Florida Panthers in the Atlantic Division.
Minus One: Power Less Power Play
For a long time, the Bruins have prided themselves in their special teams. They usually rank near the top of the league in both, but recently the power play has struggled and struggled badly. In fact, they are returning to some old habits with poor zone entries and overpassing among their struggles.
They have just four goals in their last 36 opportunities and with all the recent one-goal losses, the power play struggles are more magnified. Teams will go through slumps with their special teams and Boston is going through one now, but they do need to turn things around with it sooner rather than later.
Plus Two: David Pastrnak
Since the All-Star Break, scoring has been an issue at times, but one player who has been producing is David Pastrnak. He has five goals and eight assists since Feb. 6 and some of his goals have been huge. Against the Stars, he scored with less than two minutes left to tie the game and force overtime, which led to the nine-round shootout.
Against Edmonton, he broke a 4-4 third-period tie with a goal off a beautiful wrist shot from between the circles, then he had the first two goals against the Seattle Kraken on Feb. 26 in a 4-3 shootout loss. Without him, the Bruins offense would be struggling more than it already is.
Minus Two: Hampus Lindholm Injury
As if the Bruins needed another injury on defense to deal with this season. In the third period of Boston’s win over the Stars on Feb. 19, Hampus Lindholm was hit behind the net and suffered a lower-body injury and did not accompany his team on the four-game road trip.
To compound matters, on his first shift in Edmonton, Matt Grzelcyk was slashed on his ankle by the Oilers Ryan McLeod and did not return to the game. He missed the game the following night against the Calgary Flames but returned against the Canucks. Lindholm’s injury looks like it will keep the former Anaheim Ducks defenseman out of the lineup for some time.
Plus Three: Mason Lohrei
In Lindholm’s absence, the Bruins called up Mason Lohrei from the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL) and he made an immediate impact. Against the Oilers, he picked up three assists, and on the four-game road trip, he finished with a plus/minus of plus-5, which is pretty amazing considering how things went.
You never want to see a player go down, but Lohrei was just what the left side of the defense needed. He is someone who the Bruins needed to find a way to keep in the lineup when everyone is healthy, especially with the struggles of Grzelcyk and Derek Forbort becoming an issue. Is Lohrei going to make mistakes? Yes, but if you’re the Bruins, you have to let him make mistakes and learn.
Minus Three: Holding Onto Late Leads
Stop me if you’ve heard this before. The Bruins enter the third period with a lead, but end up blowing it. That has become an all-too-common theme as of late. Their record entering the third period of a game is very good, however, holding leads late and getting a regulation win has become an issue.
Related: Bruins News & Rumors: Grzelcyk, Trade Target, Edwards & More
They recently played six straight overtime games winning two of them, but losses to the Canucks and Los Angeles Kings in that stretch were the result of allowing late third-period goals in both games. It may not seem like a big thing, but with the Black and Gold and Florida fighting for the top spot in the Atlantic Division, all points are valuable this time of year, and failing to get a second point could be the difference between finishing first or second at the end of the season.
In a weird schedule quirk, the Bruins return from their four-game trip to host former coach Bruce Cassidy and the Vegas Golden Knights on Feb. 29, before hitting the road for two more games against the New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs. The schedule will challenge Boston as they try and keep pace with the Panthers in the division.
