OT struggles take center stage
After stubbing their collective big toe in yet another overtime pratfall Tuesday night at the Garden, the Bruins returned to work and spent a sizable chunk of Thursday’s practice trying to improve their 3-on-3 play.
No telling if practice will make perfect, but with six losses in eight games settled with 3on-3, could it make things worse?
“Better puck management, better defensively, and just overall, a little more urgency,” said coach Jim Montgomery, noting what he hoped would come of the drills. “Obviously we’re not near good enough.”
The Bruins fell to 19-5-6 with Tuesday’s 4-3 loss to the Wild, who closed the show just seconds after a Jake DeBrusk faux pas. The frustrated winger misfired wide right on a clear look at the net from the left-wing circle. The Wild collected the loose puck and rushed unimpeded up ice to finish a 3-on-1 break, with DeBrusk and fellow forward Charlie Coyle unable to race back to thwart the scoring play.
The ill-advised, inaccurate shot only added to DeBrusk’s woes. The 27-year-old winger has not scored this month, going a paltry 0-2–2 in eight games since last scoring on Nov. 30.
“That’s not good game management, 3-on-3,” said Montgomery, noting DeBrusk’s poor shot selection on that final attempt.
Nothing gets a goal scorer out of a funk like scoring a goal. Montgomery made clear that such a rut would be hard for anyone to handle.
“It consumes you,” said Montgomery, who was a forward in his playing days. “No different than a baseball player, or a quarterback who hasn’t thrown a touchdown in three quarters. It’s your job, right? And when it’s your job, it consumes you.”
Grzelcyk might Jet
Matt Grzelcyk, who banged a shoulder into the glass Tuesday night and exited play for a few minutes, did not participate in Wednesday’s workout at Warrior Ice Arena. He did skate on his own, moved freely, stickhandled, and took shots prior to practice in Brighton.
Montgomery did say Grzelcyk’s absence was related to the hit, delivered by the Wild’s Marcus Foligno. The coach did not rule out that Grzelcyk could recover fully in time to play Friday night in Winnipeg.
Monty’s defensive
As of Thursday morning, 16 NHL teams had scored more than Boston’s 97 goals this season. The Bruins scored 305 times last year, second only to the Oilers.
They’re on a pace to score 265, a projected drop of 13.1 percent. Montgomery said the club expected to have less firepower this season. Of greater concern, he said, has been the defense allowing 77.
“We are a little more concerned about how hard and firm we are defensively,” he said. “That’s a bigger concern, to be honest, because that’s an area that’s teachable . . . myself and the coaching staff, we need to be better to make sure we are firm and hard and not giving up as many quality chances.”
Exhibit A: The loss to the Wild.
“We’re up, 2-1, and we gave up seven Grade A [scoring chances] in the third period. Not good enough,” noted Montgomery. “You’re not going to close out games . . . and it’s all 5-on-5.”
The Bruins are 13-1-5 when carrying a lead into the third period.
Lining ’em up
Kevin Shattenkirk, Charlie McAvoy, and Parker Wotherspoon filled the defensive role in the 3-on-3 rushes. Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak fronted Shattenkirk, while Brad Marchand and DeBrusk paired with McAvoy, followed by James van Riemsdyk and Trent Frederic with Wotherspoon . . . Upon flying home after Saturday’s game in St. Paul, the Bruins will not reconvene until their flight out of Hanscom Bedford on Wednesday morning for Buffalo. They face the Sabres at KeyBank Center that night, before moving on to a home game with the Devils (Dec. 30) and trips to Detroit (New Year’s Eve) and Columbus (Jan. 2).