You could certainly spin the positives if you’d like.
Trailing by four goals with 12 minutes remaining in the second period, the Bruins flipped what seemed like an overdue drubbing on its head in short order — lighting the lamp three times over the span of 5:30 to make it a one-goal game going into the final stanza.
Had it not been for an iffy hooking call against Danton Heinen midway through the third, perhaps another miraculous comeback would still be in the cards for the B’s, who were looking to avoid their first back-to-back losses in regulation since late December.
But postgame, Bruce Cassidy and his players weren’t focusing most of their thoughts on “what-if” situations, or the silver linings that could be taken away from a 7-4 defeat at the hands of a Columbus club that was shut out in three of its previous six games.
“We had a nice run where we were in every game,” Cassidy said. “Even the Pittsburgh game the other night, tough first period, but I thought we played well. Sooner or later, you’re going to have a game where the other team is just better than you, for a variety of different reasons.”
While Boston carried a 19-game point streak — the second longest in franchise history — from Jan. 19 all the way through the end of last weekend, the club hasn’t necessarily made things easy on themselves.
In each of Boston’s last three wins, it has had to claw its way out of some early trouble en route to two points — with wins over the Panthers and Hurricanes achieved in dramatic fashion after overcoming two-goal deficits in both meetings.
It makes for some impressive B-roll on the highlight tape at the end of the year — and all the credit to this B’s team for its never-say-die attitude — but its recent string of dramatic wins have largely been a byproduct of some lackluster starts that have buried the B’s out the gate.
Sluggish showings from the opening drop of the puck might be negated against lesser teams such as the Senators and Panthers. But against Boston’s last two foes in the Penguins and Blue Jackets? You’re playing with fire.
“Definitely can’t continue,” Brad Marchand said of the club’s recent struggles in the early going of contests. “We know teams, especially this time of year, are desperate. Everyone is playing for something. The teams that are out of the playoffs are either fighting for contracts or jobs or to get into the playoffs. Guys that are on the bubble there are trying to fight for those last playoff spots and everyone above that is fighting for positioning. We need to get that desperation back, realize that situation each and every night and come out prepared.”
Over its last five games, Boston has found the back of the net just once over the first 20 minutes of play — that lone tally coming from Patrice Bergeron on a shorthanded strike just four minutes into game action on Tuesday.
What followed in Columbus was three unanswered goals by the Jackets before both clubs returned to the locker room for the first intermission.
A turnover by Marchand and Trent Frederic — one of the 62 giveaways tagged against the Bruins over this five-game stretch — paved the way for Columbus’ opening tally, with Josh Andersson taking the recovered biscuit from Zach Werenski and blowing by Torey Krug on the way to a breakaway goal at 7:19.
Columbus took the lead for good at 14:18 in the first, as Ryan Dzingel batted a tumbling puck past Rask near the slot, with Steven Kampfer and David Backes getting a front-row seat from just outside the blue paint.
no angle no problem pic.twitter.com/ktqEGGTAo4
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 12, 2019
relentless effort pic.twitter.com/BHEcICBUyN
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 12, 2019