The Boston Bruins just didn’t seem to find their defensive game last night. Simple turnovers, mental errors, and a lack of cohesion were the biggest reasons the B’s dropped their home opener against the Winnipeg Jets. While the 6-2 loss was bad enough for the B’s, it could have been a LOT worse.
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Towards the end of the first period, Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron was nailed in the head by Jets’ forward Alexander Burmistrov. Burmistrov was given a minor penalty for an illegal check to the head. Bergeron and Adam Lowry were also given matching roughing calls in the scuffle that happened just after the play.
Burmistrov led with a raised elbow right to Patrice Bergeron's jaw. That's aiming straight for the head. Paging the NHL Player Safety Dept
— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) October 8, 2015
Bergeron (and the entire Bruins team) got lucky. Bergeron shook off the hit and appears to have no lingering issues from the shot to the head. Bergeron has had concussion issues in the past, and the whole TD Garden seemed to hold its breath hoping that B’s alternate captain would be OK. Bergeron said after the game that Burmistrov had apologized to him about the hit.
Puck Prose
Claude Julien had many reasons not to be thrilled after last night. With all the problems the B’s had, the Bruins bench boss was still a little livid over the hit to Bergeron.
“It will be interesting to see how that is reviewed,” said Julien after the game. “Especially when it’s to an elite player in the league that’s had some issues in the past. I hope looks at it seriously, and in my mind I don’t know why there wouldn’t be further consequences to that.”
Claude Julien now has another reason to be disappointed about. It appears the Stephane Quintal and the Department of Player Safety consider the matter closed. DoPS seems to have concurred with the refs on the ice.
While DoPS agrees with the refs, I don’t. That kind of shot to the head should have warranted at least a double minor.