Cam Neely and Don Sweeney's plan to make the Boston Bruins have more "piss and vinegar" is all fun and games until performances like Sunday night happen. The Bruins had the Stadium Series against the Tampa Bay Lightning in hand with a 5-1 lead, but the rough and tough roster forgot that it takes 60 minutes to win a hockey game.
After Morgan Geekie gave the Bruins a 5-1 lead, Boston gave Tampa Bay seven consecutive powerplays. Five of those came in an 11-minute span in the second period, while they added two more in overtime. The Lightning scored three power-play goals in the second period to close the lead to 5-4, before Nikita Kucherov tied the game in the third, and Jake Guentzel scored the only goal in the shootout.
The Bruins' front office built a roster that isn't afraid to mix it up. They've used that effectively at times this season, but the team also leads the league in minor penalties. No playoff-contending team should be blowing a 5-1 second period lead, but the Bruins let the Lightning back into it by not being able to stay disciplined.
My only thought while watching it was how this would go down in a playoff series. The Lightning could be a team that the Bruins face in the first round, and teams like that will drag a team into a street fight if they get down in the game. The Florida Panthers have gone to three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals by winning games and taking pieces out of the opposing team when they lose.
The problem with the Bruins' roster is that they aren't going to be able to hold back their emotions and get a game over the finish line. Teams like the Lightning are going to eat them alive on the powerplay in the playoffs, and Boston is going to take so many penalties that no opponent is ever going to be entirely out of it.
You would've liked to see them take a couple shots on the chin and run out the clock on Sunday night. They didn't, and instead they blew a four-goal lead to take just a single point out of the Stadium Series. It was the first time that Tampa Bay had ever come back to win with a four-goal deficit.
In the heat of a tight playoff race, the Bruins failed to be smart enough and have the discipline to win a game they needed to have. That should be very concerning for fans who had hoped to see playoff hockey in Boston this season.
It might've cost his team a point in the long run with the way the game spiraled after it happened, but at least Jeremy Swayman was able to have the fight he had been chasing for some time to have his moment under the bright lights. For this year's Bruins team, it seems like some things are more critical than a crucial two points.