Stop me if you've heard this before: the Boston Bruins have cost themselves momentum in a game this year by taking undisciplined penalties. It just seems like a right of nature, no?
That was the case on Sunday night in the Stadium Series game for the Black and Gold at Raymond James Stadium against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Leading 5-1 in the second period, the Bruins unraveled. It started with a Jeremy Swayman delay of game penalty, and more penalties ended up giving the Lightning multiple 5-on-3 power plays, and they made Boston pay.
All of the penalties turned a 5-1 lead into a 5-4 lead through two periods. Tampa Bay tied the game midway through the period before they won it in overtime 6-5. It was disappointing that the Bruins were only able to collect one point in a game they should have left with two. After the game, head coach Marco Sturm, who has addressed the penalties issue before this year, didn't beat around the bush about his team's play.
Marco Sturm speaks about his teams penalty troubles after Lightning loss
Sturm spoke about his team losing their composure in the second period when they paraded to the box. The calls were all legit, but putting yourself in that position is not something you want to do against a power play as deadly as Tampa Bay's.
“We didn’t have our composure, I would say,” said Sturm. "It started with Charlie’s penalty there. They were just better than us after the whistle. I don’t think they were better than us today hockey-wise. But they were better than us after the whistle.
"They’re not tougher than us. But they did a good job. We just lost our composure a little bit, and it cost us a point, unfortunately.”
Tampa Bay might not be tougher than the Bruins, but when the whistle sounds, they keep their composure. Boston could learn a lot from them, and it was the difference between securing two points on Sunday night rather than one.