Facing a four-game road trip that could have locked up an Eastern Conference playoff berth, the Boston Bruins finished up the trip on Tuesday night looking for their first win. It has been a trip that they would like to forget soon.
The worst team on the trip, the Florida Panthers, handed the Black and Gold a 2-1 loss to open the trip. Head coach Marco Sturm ripped his team after the game for not respecting a roster that was depleted. Then, they took a 1-0 lead into the third period against the Tampa Bay Lightning two days later, only to allow three third-period goals in a 3-1 loss.
On Sunday afternoon against the surging Philadelphia Flyers, Boston trailed 1-0 entering the third period, but rallied with a Pavel Zacha power play goal to pick up a loser point in a 2-1 overtime loss. Then, on Tuesday night, they closed out the trip against the Carolina Hurricanes.
It was another night where they collected a loser point with a 6-5 overtime loss, but it was what happened in the second period that has haunted them way too many times in 2025-26.
Bruins coach Marco Sturm has a blunt answer for dreadful second period vs. Hurricanes
Leading 3-2 entering the middle period, the Bruins seemed somewhat in control and were frustrating the host, who were trying to clinch the Metropolitan Division title. It's not too many times Carolina gives up three first-period goals at home.
“We just totally lost control in that second period,” Sturm said. “But in the third, we wanted to play a certain way that at least gives us a chance. The guys responded well.”
Yeah, I'd say they lost control. That's an understatement. Anything and everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong. It just wasn't the three-minute stretch of goals that turned a one-goal lead into a two-goal deficit that chased Jeremy Swayman to the showers early.
Turnovers in the defensive end ended up in the back of the net. The inability to clear pucks when they controlled them ended up in the back of the net. Undisciplined penalties ended up in the back of the net. The Hurricanes were buzzing, and Boston had no answers. None. It was fitting that they ended the period the way they began it, shorthanded.
If the Bruins are going to get into the playoffs and have a chance to be competitive, they have a lot to clean up. That was evident again on Tuesday night. However, rallying for a point in the standings was huge.