The Boston Bruins were embarrassed at home (again), this time by the Tampa Bay Lightning. A few bad penalties mixed in with some questionable calls gave the Lightning the opportunity to put in two goals while on the power play, and an additional goal by penalty shot. The Lightning struck the Bruins early and often, and beat the Black and Gold 4-1.
More from Bruins News
- Bruins release Prospects Challenge roster, schedule Tuesday
- Bruins bringing back familiar forward on tryout contract
- The Bruins should take a look at these four free agents
- NHL Network lists Ullmark as sixth-best goalie in the league
- The Lasting Legacy of David Krejci
Some of last night’s calls were entirely valid. Brad Marchand‘s leaping play that led to a penalty shot was on point. Other calls were questionable. The penalty that seemed to change the entire mood of the game was the least believable one. Tampa Bay forward Ondrej Palat got his stick in between the legs of Bruins captain Zdeno Chara. Palat even went so far to give the 6’9″ Chara a cup check, eliciting a look of shock and surprise.
Palat ended up getting two minutes for hooking. Then the ref chose to give Chara two for embellishment, and the mood of the TD Garden crowd went devilish. The Bruins captain was incredulous over the call after the game.
“That’s not what I’ve been known for, and certainly I wasn’t trying to embellish,” said Chara. “I was trying to move [the stick] and I couldn’t. The referees saw it differently. I don’t necessarily agree with it, but that’s something I have to respect. That’s the call.”
Bruins bench boss Claude Julien was just as incensed as Chara was, but was a tad more vocal about his displeasure.
“I think that’s two embellishment calls we’ve had so far in the last probably week-and-a-half. The one on [Ryan] Spooner where the guy’s got his stick between his legs and he falls, and that would have put us I think five-on-three. They call [that] embellishment,” said Julien. “Then this one tonight. It’s honestly…it’s a farce.
“You know we’re one of the teams that probably embellishes the least [for calls], in my mind anyway, and we try not to. But there’s a lot way worse in this league than those ones. So it’s disappointing. You know I say it’s a farce because it’s disappointing to say the least.”
The Bruins will hope for better luck and better refs when the Calgary Flames come to town on Tuesday.