BSJ Game Report: Canadiens 3, Bruins 2 - Krejci’s late goal can’t propel Boston to 2 points taken at TD Garden (Bruins)

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Bruins

BSJ Game Report: Canadiens 3, Bruins 2 - Krejci’s late goal can’t propel Boston to 2 points

By Conor Ryan

Jan 14, 2019 • 11:57 pm

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Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 3-2 OT loss to the Montreal Canadiens in quickie form, with BSJ insight and analysis:

Box Score

HEADLINES

Another great Habs-Bruins series ends way too soon: There’s always a chance that these rivals could meet in the Stanley Cup playoffs in the spring, but for now — Monday’s 3-2 result in favor of the Habs stands as the final time that either of these Original Six clubs will meet for the regular season. Even with the OT loss, it was another vintage battle between the Bruins and Habs — featuring the usual chippiness, one big slugfest and a game-tying goal in the final minute of play.

Given the way Boston has battled two familiar foes in both Montreal and Toronto over their last two games, it’s hard not to think that the NHL schedule makers laid an egg with this season’s slate. Sure, Boston will have three games against the Lightning over the final two months of the regular season, but the B’s have already wrapped up their regular-season series with the Habs, Leafs and Sabres. In January. Before football season is even over. Brutal.

Cassidy juggles second, third lines: The Bruins (sans Joakim Nordstrom) are pretty much completely healthy at this point, but who needs lineup consistency? After a few stalled showings from the “Kid Line” of Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Ryan Donato and Danton Heinen, Bruce Cassidy once again juggled up his forward corps — placing David Krejci with Heinen and Donato while slotting Forsbacka Karlsson between Jake DeBrusk and David Backes. Cassidy switched things up again at the start of the third, flip-flopping Heinen and Backes in an effort to spark either trio. While Donato nearly buried a feed in front off of a Krejci pass in the opening minutes of the third, neither line managed to solve Carey Price — with Boston firing 43 shots on goal but failing to generate a 5v5 tally.

It’s been an issue all season long. And now, even when mostly healthy, this Bruins team is still laboring to create quality looks without the aid of the man advantage or 4-on-4 play.

THREE UP

David Krejci: Yeah, Krejci should shoot a lot more. It’s a shame that his last-minute goal was overshadowed by Jeff Petry’s tally just 15 seconds into overtime, because that was a fantastic wrister from Krejci to at least secure a point on the night. Even with multiple lineup shuffles as of late, Krejci has tallied a goal in three straight games.



Kevan Miller:
Good lord, what a scrap.
Alright, maybe heavyweight bout is the better term, because both Miller and
Nicolas Deslauriers
combined for one of the best fights you’ll see in the NHL this season. A throwback to old-school hockey fisticuffs (a visual helped by those sweet Winter Classic jerseys), both Miller and Deslauriers managed to get plenty of licks in before getting separated, with the duo drawing an ovation from the TD Garden.




Patrice Bergeron: Brad Marchand
might have had the tally in the first period, but Bergeron put together an impressive showing at the pivot in the opening stanza. Along with notching the primary helper on Marchand’s snipe, Bergeron generated a 2-on-0 chance for the B’s minutes earlier off of his usual stout two-way game, preventing a bouncing puck from slipping past him in the neutral zone before eventually feeding it ahead to
David Pastrnak
and Marchand.




THREE DOWN


Power play:
After relinquishing 10 shorthanded goals all of last season, the 2018-19 Bruins managed to match that mark in just the 46th game of their campaign. Woof. Even removing
Paul Byron’s
gut-punch goal at 17:09 of the second period, Boston couldn’t get much going on the 5v4 man advantage, landing just two shots on goal against Price in 4:10 of ice time through the first two periods.


Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson:
Not too much from JFK as of late, with the pivot logging a team-low 9:41 of ice time on Monday. The young center was never expected to be an offensive dynamo, but he’s only landed one shot on goal in his last six games. 


David Backes: 


PLAY OF THE GAME


There wasn’t going to be much that Price could do off of this snipe from Marchand. (Also, what are you doing,
Shea Weber
?)




PARTING THOUGHT 


Even
Claude Julien
had to smile after that heavyweight bout between Miller and Deslauriers.




LOOKING AHEAD


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