After every big win, it seems that the Boston Bruins are poised to go on potentially long streaks of strong, responsible play, but then a game, like the one against Colorado Avalanche this week, shows up and everything falls apart. It is a problem that has kept the Bruins from climbing higher in the standings and, if the issue continues, could be what keeps them out of the playoffs this year.
Puck Prose
Boston is fresh off a convincing 3-1 win against the Detroit Red Wings and still have three home games left before they go back on the road. The players and coaching staff need to realize that one win is nothing to celebrate about if the team cannot build on it in future games.
“By no means are we out of the woods,” said Torey Krug after the win, “we’ve got to come back and make sure that we’re ready for the next game.” Taking the foot off the gas pedal is something that the Bruins have been caught doing too many times this season.
Against the Colorado Avalanche this past week, Boston looked as though they were going to win the game 6-0 after scoring two early goals. However, in order to continue to have the same result that put the team up 2-0, the Bruins needed to bring the same energy and attention to detail throughout the entire game. That didn’t happen and it resulted in the Bruins missing out on two points that could easily have been theirs.
“We, so many times, have the lead, two goal lead, and then we kind of blew it.” – David Krejci
“We talk about it a lot,” mentioned David Krejci who, like Krug, scored a goal in the Detroit win, “We, so many times, have the lead, two goal lead, and then we kind of blew it.” Putting together a full sixty minute effort has been uttered in the dressing room over and over again, so why is it that the Bruins still find themselves in these situations where they give away the lead so often?
Nov 14, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara (33) checks Detroit Red Wings center Gustav Nyquist (14) during the third period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Even in the Detroit game, where the Bruins only faced 23 shots, Tuukka Rask had to make some very good saves due to defensive breakdowns and poor decision making when pinching. There are no easy shifts in the NHL, and the Bruins have enough depth that players who make these unnecessary mistakes ought to be benched or demoted to a lower line. Claude Julien has done a great job of managing his lines based on performance thus far and will need to continue to make sure that he has the best team on the ice every night and the right players on the ice for every shift.
The game against the Red Wings was a great example of what needs to happen every game, as far as a complete team effort is concerned. Assistant captain Patrice Bergeron, who scored the first goal against Detroit agrees. “I thought every line was contributing and playing well. When you have that, it gives you confidence that, no matter what is coming in front of you, you can overpass it.”
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The Boston Bruins have shown that when they are competing hard and playing the game the way it’s supposed to be played, they are able to beat any team in this league. However, as seen in Colorado, they have also shown that, no matter how far ahead in a game they are, or how much better they are playing than the other team, they are always capable of losing a game that they should win. This habit, that arguably shows up once a week, needs to stop and, with the next three games at home, there isn’t a better time than now.
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