Another Bruin Bites the Ice
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by Rawbeezeitz
The Bruins fell to the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 last night. There was a touch of unfortunate irony to the Bruins’ fourth straight loss. Injured center Patrice Bergeron had spoken to the media before the game, and implored his fellow NHL players. "We have to respect each other a little bit more. I know I’m not the only one who has been saying that this past year…We have to think about the consequences when you’re on the ice."
The unfortunate irony would come in the form of an elbow to Bruins defenseman Aaron Ward’s head. Francis Bouillon came out of the penalty box in the 3rd period, and struck Ward with his elbow. The hit went unseen by most. Bouillon wasn’t even penalized for it. However, Ward lay on the ice, unconscious. He was eventually able to get up and go to the room under his own power. There is no official word yet on his condition.
The game itself was another frustrating contest. For the third straight game, the Bruins lost 2-1. Since Bergeron was taken out, the Bruins have scored 10 goals in 6 games, or 1.667 goals per game. In their previous 9 games, they had scored 23 goals, or 2.556 goals per game.
Tim Thomas still has the 5th best GAA in the NHL at 1.71, and the 3rd best Save Percentage at .947, but his record as a starter is an unimpressive 5-4. This is partially due to his lack of shutouts, but is more due to a lack of Bruins offense.
In their 2-1 loss against Montreal, the Bruins were unable to score on the power play, including a nearly 2 minute 5 on 3 advantage in the 3rd. This is not a new trend. The Bruins are 20th in the League in Power Play Percentage at 15.5%. Their 9 power play goals place them at 27th in that category.
The lack of success on the power play is not surprising. The Bruins, quite simply, are not a good offensive team. They’re 28th in goals per game at 2.20. Bergeron was the only real threat they had, and it seems as though he’ll be out for a long time.
The absence of Bergeron has exposed the Bruins’ lack of offensive prowess. Even with Patrice, the Bruins could only muster 2.556 goals per game. Losing Bergeron has only made a bad thing worse.
But things aren’t all bad for the Bruins. They’re 8th in goals allowed per game at 2.33. In two games, they held the mighty Senators to 2 goals and a shootout win. If the Bruins do make the playoffs, this could help them steal a first round series, and perhaps make some noise in the very loud Boston sports scene. But in order to make the playoffs, the Bruins will have to find a way to score more goals, particularly with a man advantage.
Sources: BostonBruins.com, NHL.com
Photo Credit: AP/Charles Krupa
