Bruins' inconsistency is newest flaw costing them invaluable factors

Bruins’ inconsistency is latest flaw costing them valuable points initially appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Tuesday’s thrilling comeback win over the St. Louis Blues was purported to be a game-changer for the Boston Bruins.

They’d turned what seemed like one other crushing loss into arguably their finest win of the season by erasing a 2-0 third-period deficit, helped by a number of struggling gamers making significant contributions, together with Davd Pastrnak ending a seven-game goal drought on the profitable tally.

After which Thursday night time in Dallas occurred.

All of the momentum the Bruins had constructed from their win towards the Blues was shortly torn down with one other terrible defeat to the Stars. The Stars led 2-0 at one level within the first interval, then elevated their benefit to 5-1 coming into the third interval earlier than finally profitable 7-2.

“We misplaced each battle. Delicate on the puck. Delicate in every single place. Not ending checks. Simply obtained embarrassed as we speak,” Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov told reporters postgame.

There’s numerous points with this Bruins crew proper now. A scarcity of 5-on-5 scoring, too many penalties, an ineffective energy play, high gamers not producing, bad third periods and Jeremy Swayman not taking part in like a No. 1 goalie are atop the checklist.

However one other main downside is an absence of consistency.

Simply once you assume this crew has possibly turned a nook with a formidable win, the B’s are unable to construct off it and set up any kind of consistency. The Bruins have a 2-4-2 document after a victory this season.

They haven’t had a win streak longer than two video games. They’d two of them by Nov. 15 final season, together with a six-game win streak to start the marketing campaign. The Bruins’ longest level streak this 12 months is simply three video games.

“It has been irritating all 12 months that we have not been in a position to string three or 4 constant video games the place we really feel our habits and particulars are persistently there,” Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters postgame Thursday.

These kind of “one step ahead, two steps again” sorts of outcomes might make it difficult for the Bruins to make the playoffs. The Bruins now have a 8-8-2 document and rank tenth within the Jap Convention in factors proportion.

A method for the Bruins to get again on monitor is for Swayman to play a lot better. He let in a career-high seven objectives in Thursday’s defeat to the Stars. On the season, Swayman has a 5-6-2 document with a .888 save proportion and a 3.35 GAA. His minus-4.6 objectives saved above anticipated ranks sixty fifth out of 74 qualifying goalies, per MoneyPuck.

To be clear, Swayman is not getting a lot assist from the crew in entrance of him. In reality, he is getting virtually no assistance on some nights. He is not the No. 1 or No. 2 motive why this crew has been so common by means of 18 video games.

However given the Bruins’ struggles offensively — twenty seventh in objectives per sport, thirty second in power-play proportion — they want him to steal a pair video games, which he is completely able to doing and has finished many occasions in his profession.

One optimistic for the Bruins is their upcoming schedule. They’ve struggled versus good groups this season, posting a 4-6-2 document towards opponents at the moment in a playoff spot. They will not face a lot of these groups over the following couple weeks. 9 of their subsequent 11 video games are towards groups outdoors of a playoff spot. Eight of these 11 matchups shall be at TD Backyard.

If the Bruins cannot string collectively a pair wins in a row towards dangerous groups, particularly with most of those upcoming video games at dwelling, that may inform us loads about this group and its possibilities of doing something within the spring.