Clock ticking on broken power play
The Bruins have two more cracks at reviving their moribund power play, beginning Monday night in Washington, D.C., where they’ll hope to break a funk that now has dipped to 2 for 28 over the last 10 games.
The playoffs at their doorstep, the Bruins have a power play that barely can find the front steps.
“Last year, I don’t think we were that hot on our power play going into the playoffs,” noted captain Brad Marchand following Saturday night’s 6-4 win over the Penguins. “You know, things can happen, you reset . . . again, it didn’t take away from our game [in Pittsburgh]. We will compete and do a good job five on five. It’s definitely something we can be better at, and improve upon, and we’ll continue to work on it. But we’re not letting it get us down.”
The frustrations on the advantage were running hot early in the third period at PPG Paints Arena when PP quarterback Charlie McAvoy overhandled the puck in the offensive zone, leading to a Drew O’Connor breakaway and shorthanded goal that trimmed the Bruins’ lead to 4-3.
A peeved, animated Jim Montgomery, framed by ABC cameras, could be seen airing out his first-unit charges once they were back on the bench after the gaffe, made all the worse by their lack of hustle and urgency to catch O’Connor. The five-man PP1 unit Saturday featured McAvoy as the lone point man in the 4-1 set, with David Pastrnak, Pavel Zacha, Jake DeBrusk, and Marchand the front men.
A quick look at when each of those five last scored on the power play:
R McAvoy — Nov. 18, game No. 16
R Pastrnak — March 7, game No. 65
R Zacha — March 9, game No. 66
R DeBrusk — Jan. 9, game No. 40
R Marchand — Jan. 13, game No. 42
The game in D.C. will be followed by the regular-season closer Tuesday vs. Ottawa at TD Garden. If Montgomery rolls out the same PP1 against the Capitals, it’s a unit that has amassed a collective 171 man games since knocking one home on the advantage.
Montgomery, searching for a change in mojo, yanked McAvoy from the No. 1 unit when the Bruins went on the advantage for the final time with 7:08 gone in the third.
Kevin Shattenkirk, rarely in the lineup of late, shifted into the PP1 QB spot, after earlier in the night scoring his sixth goal of the season at even strength.
The move could portend a change in the power-play dynamics against the Capitals, though Montgomery wasn’t prepared to confirm that prior to catching the club’s charter flight out of Pittsburgh late Saturday.
Maroon impressed in debut
Pat Maroon landed a game-high five hits in his Bruins debut, riding on left wing in a trio that included Jesper Boqvist and Jakub Lauko. His one shot on net, the first of the night for the Bruins, came on a sweet feed from Boqvist near the 4:35 mark of the first period.
“Competed hard,” said Marchand. “He’s great in the room and on the bench . . . a great guy to have around. I liked his first game. I’m sure he’ll continue to feel better as he goes on and plays more. A great fit for the group.”
Shattenkirk shelling out
Shattenkirk took a hack at Michael Bunting late in the first period, irked by the Penguins forward’s attempt to upend unsuspecting goalie Linus Ullmark, and there ended up being a price for it.
Cost: $2,734.38, the fine the Department of Player Safety imposed Sunday for what it termed unsportsmanlike conduct.
Playoff foe TBD
Still no clarity on who the Bruins will face in Round 1, expected to begin Saturday on Causeway St. As of Sunday afternoon, the list of candidates included Tampa, Toronto, Detroit, Washington, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and the New York Islanders . . . Shattenkirk’s goal in Pittsburgh made it four consecutive games the Bruins have had a goal from the backline, setting a high for the season . . . The Penguins never had the lead Saturday night. In 39 games, the Bruins have allowed zero lead time, compared with 18 times they’ve never worked from ahead.