Coming home tied 1-1 with the Buffalo Sabres in their first-round Eastern Conference Playoff series, the Boston Bruins were hoping to use their success at home in the regular season to take a series lead over the favored Sabres. As they found out, the playoffs are a different animal.
Tied 1-1 through two periods, the Bruins gave up two third-period goals and now trail in the series again, 2-1, with a pivotal Game 4 on Sunday afternoon at the TD Garden. Here are three takeaways from what could be a series-shifting road win for the Atlantic Division champion Sabres.
Bruins miss golden opportunity with penalty shot
If the Bruins go on to lose this series, there are already a couple of things you could look back on, say, if things had gone differently, then they could still be playing. Of course, at the top of that list is the Game 1 meltdown in the final eight minutes of regulation with a 2-0 lead before losing 4-3. Another moment to bookmark happened in the second period on Thursday night.
Viktor Arvidsson had a short breakaway when a Buffalo defenseman had his stick snap in the defensive zone. He was slashed before he could get a shot off by Rasmus Dahlin, which resulted in a penalty shot. Arvidsson was turned away by Lyon, and the Sabres tied the game a few minutes later. A couple of things, with the long change in the middle period, it might have been better for the Black and Gold to get a power play. Teams should get a choice, a penalty shot, or a power play.
Second, I'll never understand why players don't go straight down on a beakaway rather than getting cute and going way over to one side. Go straight forward like you would in the run of play.
Bruins struggled clearing pucks out of the zone
There have been times this season when the Bruins have had trouble clearing pucks out of their zone when having the opportunity, and it has cost them. They were living on the edge through the first two periods in Game 3 without it burning them, until Alex Tuch burned them.
He threw a reverse hit on Mason Lohrei, which appeared to be an elbow to his head. Seconds later, he beat Jeremy Swayman through a screen for the game-winning goal early in the third period. Boston had chances to clear the puck before that and couldn't. If there has been an Achilles heel this season for Boston, it's been running around in their own end and not getting pucks out. It will be their undoing.
Bruins get nothing from their big-name players
The Bruins got their goal from Tanner Jeannot in the second period for a 1-0 lead, but other than that, they were unable to solve Alex Lyon. Boston had some good scoring chances but tried to beat him five-hole (hello David Pastrnak), or he was able to come up with some big saves as he did on Pavel Zacha.
Lyon plays a different style than Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, where he stays deeper in the net. That can be good and bad. Boston needs to adjust to that going forward, as he is going to stay between the pipes in what is a pivotal Game 4 on Sunday afternoon.
Bruins face must-win Game 4 on Sunday afternoon
I know, we're not breaking any news here, but Game 4 Sunday is a must-win. You don't want to go back to Western New York down 3-1, or it could be a series over. If Boston is going to even the series, getting power play production is a must, as is better zone exits. They also have to find a way to solve Lyon before it's too late. Give Buffalo credit, they beat the Bruins at their own game and responded as good teams do on the road with a win to regain control of the series.
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