Bruins fail their physical
No match for Habs’ tough play
The Bruins headed into Saturday’s contest preparing for Montreal’s speed. While the Canadiens break-ins and zone exits were quicker than any team the B’s have faced, the Habs also brought an energy and physicality that wasn’t matched.
Particularly, the Canadiens played the Bruins’ top two lines more effectively than any team all season. It started with some early checks on the Bruins’ second line, which contributed to each goal in Thursday’s win against the Flyers.
Once the Habs put on more physical pressure, the Bruins just seemed couldn’t rebound, and Montreal cruised to a 3-0 victory at the Garden.
“There were a couple (hits) early for me that I took,” Jake DeBrusk said. “It doesn’t make a difference. It’s about getting yourself to certain spots, and I was late to pucks. I tried to hit a little bit back, but it was the way it went.”
Being late to pucks was the norm for the Bruins all night. They didn’t win battles, deterred by Montreal’s speed, and also the Canadiens’ ability to stop any pucks in the middle of the ice.
“Our neutral-zone play, bring out pucks, I think it hurt us,” DeBrusk said. “I don’t think we got it clean out of the neutral zone once. They did, so they did a good job and we have to be better.”
The Bruins’ center depth, which looked promising at the start of the season, has been depleted. David Backes remains out, leaving Joakim Nordstrom (two goals) and Sean Kuraly (two points) manning the bottom two lines.
The Canadiens’ ability to get sticks in lanes had a lot to do with their speed, but also the Bruins’ inability to spark offense from an exposed forwards corps.
“It was all break-ins,” DeBrusk said. “They did a good job of squeezing us at certain times. Puck management as well. We didn’t get out there much, our (power play) unit, but when we did, there wasn’t much going on and it was frustrating.”
The Canadiens’ pressure was different than it was the last time the teams met, when the Bruins swept the season series last year.
Teh hosts simply didn’t adjust.
“Montreal’s playing a little differently this year in certain areas that we didn’t try to get away from,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “They’re checking, they’re flooding the puck in the offensive zone, where basically two against three and a half, four guys, and we weren’t able to relieve pressure.”
Carolina, coming up tomorrow night, has some similarities, with fast skaters, but the Hurricanes shoot the puck a lot more and have plenty of energy.
Most of the issues from Saturday could be exploited again without changes.
That includes the top six forwards — since the bottom six haven’t — getting on the board.
“It wasn’t what anyone wanted,” DeBrusk said. “Especially in games like this, we have to produce.”
One bright spot for the Bruins on Saturday was Ryan Donato.
The winger has struggled to get his game in gear, especially with all the line shuffling, but he’s found a somewhat permanent role on the third line.
His goal was called back against the Canadiens, but he showed more conviction, and possibly by default, comfort, than he has all season.
“I just think I had more opportunities to do it,” he said. “I think In the past it’s just, sometimes it’s hard to get offense opportunities but I think tonight I’ve had the puck follow me a little bit and it’s different than the way its gone and hope it continues to follow me and I’ll keep shooting them.”