Boston Bruins: Not What You Want to See Before the Playoffs

Through the first 40 minutes of Saturday’s game, the Boston Bruins outplayed the New York Rangers. If it wasn’t for Rangers goalie Keith Kinkaid, the game would not have been doubt. Unfortunately for the Black and Gold, that was not the case.

Boston held a 28-12 advantage in shots through two periods but needed a Nick Ritchie goal with 1:48 left in the second period to even be tied 1-1 following the second period. Then the roof caved in the final 20 minutes.

David Pastrnak scored career goal No. 200 just 12 seconds into the third period for a 2-1 Bruins lead before the Rangers took over and closed out their 2021 season with a 5-4 victory at the TD Garden.

The Rangers scored four goals in the final 15 minutes, including three goals in a span of 4:14, with Mike Zibanejad scoring two of the goals on Tuukka Rask. It was a concerning final 15 minutes of the game for the Bruins, especially with so much to play for, while the Blueshirts had literally nothing to play for.

Boston had a chance to extend their lead on the New York Islanders in the East Division and all but lock up the third-seed in the upcoming Stanley Cup playoffs. Instead, the Bruins now have to play the Isles Monday night at home and will need to collect at least one point to claim the third seed before heading down to Washington Tuesday night to play the Capitals in what could very well be a first-round series preview.

Following Pastrnak’s goal, the Bruins played a much too wide-open game, which the Rangers took advantage of. New York had multiple odd-man rushes in the final 15 minutes and Boston left Rask out to dry too many times. As good as he has been lately, sooner or later, the former Vezina Trophy winner is going to give up goals with the chances the Rangers had.

The Bruins did not go quietly in the third period as a power play goal from Marchand and a Patrice Bergeron goal with just over a minutes left in the game made things interesting, but overall, losing a game to a team that had nothing to play for and was already thinking of the golf course is not what you want to see heading into the postseason.

Defensive lapses are going to happen, but what the blueline did in the third period is not something that they want to do much of beginning next week when the real season begins. Learn from it and move on.