B’s lose grip on top spot
Struggle at start too costly
SUNRISE, Fla. — If the Bruins still have designs on winning the Eastern Conference, they now need some help.
The B’s dropped a 3-2 decision last night to the Florida Panthers, who kept their faint playoff hopes alive by outplaying the B’s for much of the game at BB&T Center. Jared McCann snapped a 2-2 tie with 5:37 left in the third period when he deflected Mike Matheson’s wrist shot from the blue line past Tuukka Rask for the winner.
From there, Roberto Luongo, playing his 1,000 NHL game, kept the B’s off the board and dealt them their first three-game losing streak since November..
The Tampa Bay Lightning, which pulled into first place in the Eastern Conference by virtue of one more regulation/overtime win, have two games left, hosting Buffalo tonight and traveling to Carolina tomorrow. If they sweep those two winnable games, they’ll capture the East and home ice advantage for at least the first three rounds of the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Bruins have specialized this year in spirited comebacks, but maybe have become too reliant on them. It was the third time in the threegame road trip that the B’s fell down 2-0, and there’s little wonder that they managed just one point on the excursion.
“It’s not acceptable, we know that,” said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. “And that’s been a formula this whole trip. We’ve played from behind and we got one out of six points. That’s what’s going to happen in this league. I don’t care what team you’re going to play. We’ve played three hungry teams so that’s part of it. But it’s just a bad formula to play from behind
While missing three regular forwards in Rick Nash, Riley Nash and Sean Kuraly, missing bodies had not held this team back during its climb through the standings. Cassidy isn’t sure if his team is simply looking ahead to the playoffs, or if the play has slipped as badly as it’s looked.
“Is it the situation we’re in, or has it crept into our game? We won’t know that till next Thursday (when the playoffs start), to be honest with you,” said Cassidy.
Rask, who wasn’t great in Tampa, was much better last night, stopping 32 shots, including several Grade A chances to keep the B’s in the game after McCann scored the winner.
“I thought he was terrific, by far our our best player,” said Cassidy.
But it didn’t start well. Aleksander Barkov finished off a beautiful play for the 1-0 lead at 7:42 of the first. Then old friend Frank Vatrano put the Panthers up 2-0 less than two minutes later at 9:34 when he and Nick Bjugstad forced Zdeno Chara to cough up the puck, giving Vatrano a clean look for the top of the crease to make it 2-0.
“Obviously it’s not the start you want,” said center Patrice Bergeron. “Is it concerning? I don’t think so. We have to realize we need better starts. We’re showing good things to get back in games, but you’re putting yourself in a hole every time. That can’t happen, especially down the stretch.”
The B’s had absolutely nothing going offensively until Matheson took a holding penalty against David Krejci near the Florida blue line at 15:09. Ten seconds later, the B’s were on the board. Working the top of the crease, Ryan Donato had Torey Krug’s shot hit him in the chest but it dropped down for him. He wheeled around and slipped the puck between the post and a prone Luongo’s skate for his fifth goal of the year to make it 2-1.
Both teams were loose to start the second period. The B’s gave up a 2-on-1 and a breakaway in the first minute but the Panthers couldn’t put the puck on net.
And the B’s were the ones to capitalize on the Panthers’ generosity. Krejci and Jake DeBrusk combined to turn over the puck high on the right side in the Panthers’ zone. Krejci got it over to Danton Heinen, who beat Luongo to the short side at 2:11, his 15th of the year.
But this time, they could not complete the comeback. Now the Bruins, whoever is in the lineup in the final two games at home against Ottawa and these same Panthers, need to find their game.
“I trust this group,” said Cassidy, “but it is frustrating sometimes to see us bounce back and have the will to get back into the games and not start on time.”