Goal: Sharpen attack
B’s out to capitalize on chances, improve PP
Left winger Brad Marchand wants to see the Bruins transform their opportunities into goals when they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at the Air Canada Centre.
The Bruins lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 and can eliminate the Leafs with a victory in Game 6.
Marchand referenced his team’s offensive output in its two series losses. The Bruins fired 42 shots at Toronto goalie Frederik Andersen in their 4-2 loss in Game 3.
Then, in Saturday’s Game 5, the B’s pelted Andersen with 45 shots from all angles in the 4-3 loss at the Garden. The Bruins netted five goals on 87 shots, a ratio Marchand said is unacceptable whether the blame lies with his team or a hot goalie.
“It was a little bit of both with (Andersen) and in Toronto we had a couple of chances that hit some posts and whatnot,” said Marchand after yesterday’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena. “He was making some big saves and he’s a good goalie so you have to give him credit.
“Maybe we need to get a little bit more traffic in front of him so he can’t see the shots as well. In games like that we also have to be a little bit better defensively. But if we continue to pepper away at shots hopefully it will work in our favor.”
The Bruins’ power play was certainly clicking in the series’ first two games. Marchand scored the first of three power-play goals in a 5-1 victory in Game 1, and the B’s added two more on the man-advantage in the 7-3 Game 2 win.
The Bruins had only one powerplay opportunity during the two games in Toronto but definitely had chances in Game 5 back home. The unit was 1-for-6 in the Game 5 loss as David Backes tallied midway through the second after a fortuitous bounce off the glass behind the Leafs net.
The B’s squandered an extended 5-on-3 advantage in the third period when the Leafs were protecting a 2-1 lead. That unfulfilled sequence was a moment Marchand would like to have back.
“We got one big goal on the power play but we need to be better, especially that 5-on-3 and we needed to capitalize on that,” said Marchand. “We need to be better but so far we’ve been pretty good.”
The Bruins’ first line of Marchand, center Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak combined for two goals and four assists in Game 1 and came back with three goals and 12 assists in Game 2. Pastrnak enjoyed a career night with a hat trick and three assists, all of which were scored at even strength.
The trio cooled off over the two games in Toronto, not scoring a point in Game 3. Bergeron was a gametime scratch in Game 4 but Marchand scored the game-winning goal. The reunited first line did not have a point in Game 5.
“In the first couple of games we capitalized on our opportunities and we’ll move on and hopefully be better,” said Marchand.