Bruins takeaways: Star gamers, energy play ailing B's throughout unhealthy begin

Bruins takeaways: Star players, power play ailing B’s during bad start initially appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins ended their shedding streak with an extra time win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night time. It was a much-needed two factors, however the true constructive from that sport was the group’s offense lastly got here alive and scored 4 occasions, together with captain Brad Marchand’s first goal of the season.

It appeared just like the B’s had been lastly popping out of their doldrums.

After which Tuesday night time occurred.

The Bruins gave considered one of their worst performances of the 2024-25 NHL season in a 2-0 defeat to a foul Philadelphia Flyers group that got here into TD Backyard with a 2-6-1 report and a minus-13 aim differential. The Bruins trailed 1-0 coming into the third interval and had been solely in a position to generate three pictures on internet over the ultimate 20 minutes of motion.

The loss dropped the Bruins to 4-5-1 and right into a four-way tie on the backside of the Atlantic Division standings.

After a homestand that noticed them lose 5-2 to the Dallas Stars, beat the Leafs 4-3 in extra time after which get shut out by the Flyers, the Bruins will now go on the street, starting with Thursday night time’s sport versus the Carolina Hurricanes.

However earlier than we stay up for that matchup, let’s break down three key takeaways from the homestand that simply ended.

Energy-play struggles

The Bruins had a 5-on-3 energy play for 97 seconds within the first interval Tuesday night time, with their high unit of Elias Lindholm, David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, Pavel Zacha and Charlie McAvoy on the ice. Sluggish puck motion and an lack of ability to get pictures via to the online doomed the B’s and so they ended up with just one shot on aim throughout this two-man benefit.

The Bruins tallied only one shot on internet in almost 5 minutes of power-play time in opposition to the Flyers. They went 0-4 general with the person benefit. Boston scored solely twice on 13 power-play alternatives through the three-game homestand.

An enormous concern with the facility play Tuesday was an lack of ability to get pictures to the online. The Flyers blocked a ton of pictures, however the Bruins additionally made it fairly straightforward for them.

What can the Bruins do to get pucks via?

“Faster puck motion,” Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters postgame. “In the event you transfer the puck fast sufficient and also you’re pondering shot first, they’re not gonna be in shot lanes. They’re one much less participant. Particularly 5-on-3, they’re two much less gamers.”

The B’s rank twenty fifth within the league with a 14.3 p.c success charge on the facility play. The Bruins want the facility play to be efficient as a result of they’re struggling to attain at 5-on-5, the place they rank twenty fourth with simply 15 targets in 10 video games. To date, the facility play has simply added to those scoring woes.

Crisper puck motion, getting extra site visitors in entrance of the online and cleaner zone entries are all methods to get this energy play again on monitor.

Who’s going to seize maintain of second-line proper wing?

The top roster battle in training camp and the preseason was for the second-line proper wing spot alongside Charlie Coyle and Brad Marchand. Nobody actually took maintain of it, together with high prospect Fabian Lysell, who didn’t make the Opening Night roster.

Morgan Geekie started the season on this function, which made sense given his reliable two-way sport and offensive upside after placing up profession highs with 17 targets and 22 assists throughout his first season in Boston. However Geekie has fully disappeared offensively to start the season. He has scored zero targets with just one help. He has tallied one or fewer pictures on internet in six of his 9 video games performed.

Justin Brazeau discovered some momentum early within the homestand by scoring a aim in opposition to the Stars and Leafs earlier than failing to hit the scoresheet versus the Flyers. He is been held scoreless in 5 of his eight video games, and he is tallied greater than two pictures in simply a type of matchups.

Matthew Poitras, Trent Frederic and Mark Kastelic have additionally taken shifts at proper wing on the second line. None of those strikes have labored out. Poitras is healthier suited at heart, the place he can faucet into his spectacular playmaking means. Kastelic has been amongst Boston’s greatest gamers this season and has developed nice chemistry on the fourth line with John Beecher and Cole Koepke. Breaking apart the one trio that is labored this season is dangerous.

Lysell has his shortcomings defensively — which definitely is not distinctive to him, he is simply 21 years outdated. However his dynamic offensive ability set is sorely wanted on this Bruins roster. He has an excellent shot, he is a proficient playmaker, and his pace places opposing defensemen on their heels. All of those expertise could be welcomed on Boston’s struggling energy play, too.

After such a dreadful offensive output in opposition to the Flyers, it is time for actual adjustments, and calling up Lysell from Windfall is the perfect inner transfer the Bruins may make. If that does not work, possibly it will be time for a commerce to shake issues up. However the most suitable choice proper now could be to see if Lysell can present a much-needed spark.

High-six gamers want to indicate up

It is arduous to win when your greatest gamers should not persistently getting on the scoresheet. The Bruins had been in a position to overcome this downside early within the season when the Beecher-Kastelic-Koepke fourth line was playing out of its mind offensively, however that was by no means a sustainable answer.

Elias Lindholm was the team’s big-money addition in free agency as a top-six heart. However after a powerful begin that noticed him tally 5 factors within the first three video games, Lindholm has zero factors in his final six contests. Pavel Zacha has zero targets and one help within the final six video games. Brad Marchand has one aim in 10 video games, which was the extra time winner in opposition to the Leafs over the weekend.

Charlie Coyle set profession highs with 25 targets and 60 factors final season. He has discovered the again of the online solely as soon as in 10 video games. He additionally has zero assists. His 4 pictures on internet during the last 5 video games mixed merely is not ok.

David Pastnak scored targets in opposition to the Stars and Leafs, and general he has tallied not less than one level in six of 10 video games. He is the one top-six ahead who’s proven any sort of consistency.

“I feel on each group, your greatest gamers — your star gamers — have to hold the load offensively,” Montgomery instructed reporters postgame. “These are the gamers out on the facility play, and people are the gamers the place the offense is not materializing for us.”