Boston Bruins: Nightmare night against Vancouver Canucks
Can you hear that hissing sound, that is the air coming out of the Bruins tyres after last night’s debacle.
What on earth was that. Look I know that the City of Vancouver will forever be amped up for games at Rogers Arena against the Boston Bruins but this was something else. To get hit for six against a shambolic Canucks teams will rightfully set off alarm bells back in Boston.
The Canucks were better in every avenue of the game apart from the shot count. They had more jump, more speed and more tenacity. In fairness, what a horrible time to play the Canucks of all teams coming up to the trade deadline. This is no excuse by any means but you have a bouncing arena thirsty for Bruin blood and players on that Canucks roster vying for a playoff contender trade.
Hungry Canucks
Brad Marchand was targeted from the off by the Canucks and they certainly unsettled him. Charlie McAvoy was made to look human by Bo Horvat. The Bruins had been 29-5-4 over the last three months but the warning signs have been there in recent games. Namely losing to Buffalo.
The indecisiveness in their own zone has been frightening at times in recent games, a lack of communication and lack of speed to exit the zone.
Tonight was a night for analytical head-scratching especially if you’re a fan of Corsi measurements like I am. The Bruins by almost doubling the Canucks shot total dominated Corsi on almost every line but still found themselves being whacked for six.
Rotten Rask
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A night to quickly forget for the Bruins leading goaltender. Not a performance to overplay and sensationalize, these nights happen. It’s the next performance that will be all the more important. Rask shipped four goals on eight shots in a dire first period and was pulled after the fourth for backup Anton Khudobin. It was the first time in nearly six years that the Bruins have fallen into a 4-0 deficit in the first frame.
Dust off and move on
The first game of a five game road trip, the Bruins don’t have any time to wallow in self pity. Up next the Calgary Flames, who on paper are lightyears ahead of the Canucks. You know what that means though? The Bruins will most likely win. Oddly strong opposition hasn’t been there downfall at times, it has been weaker teams having their night of the year.
It was an embarrassing performance against a bitter rival there is no getting around that. However, the Bruins have bigger fish to fry this season and for the Canucks that was their Stanley Cup Final. If only they could have put on this kind of performance in Game Seven…