Patrice Bergeron and the rest of the Bruins know what’s coming when they cross over into the Leafs’ zone. The problem is, they just can’t seem to solve it.
Even with the addition of a top-four blueliner like Jake Muzzin, the Leafs were still expected to be a mismatch against a B’s offense that averaged four goals per game against Toronto during the regular season — while also tallying 28 goals during last year’s seven-game series.
But so far, quality scoring chances have been hard to come by for the B’s this postseason, standing as the key reason for their current predicament — just one loss away from a premature end to a promising 2018-19 season.
Muzzin has been better than advertised for Toronto during the playoffs, while the addition of John Tavares (who is underrated away from the puck while also giving the Bruins plenty to handle in the O-zone) can’t be understated.
But even with Toronto’s commitment to playing a stingy defensive game, it’s not like Boston has made things particularly difficult on Frederik Andersen in net.
“I think they’re doing a good job of keeping us to the outside," Bergeron said. “We have to find a way to get to the inside a lot more. The goals that we scored have been from the inside, also some rebounds, some really in tight, and you know, that’s – I guess there’s no other answers than that. I think we need to get to the inside a little bit more.”
Grade-A looks and soft areas of the ice and usually not been afforded to Boston so far this series, but with the Bruins' offense flatlining against the 20th-ranked defense in the NHL — sometimes the best solution is to simple funnel pucks on net and wait for some luck to fall your way. It certainly isn’t the game that Boston envisioned that it’d be playing against Toronto, but it’s better than the approach that they’re currently adhering to.
When looking at the heat map from Friday’s disappointing 2-1 loss at TD Garden, it’s apparent that the Leafs were more than willing to surrender the blue line in order to pack in bodies down in the low slot. However, Boston wasn’t necessarily swarming with their chances either, attempting just 40 shots in 49:37 of 5v5 TOI — of which only 18 managed to make it Andersen.
It doesn’t get any easier when players are also passing up shots in search of a perfect tap-in sequence or clean shooting lane.
“I just didn’t think we generated enough on net when we did have chances to put it in there and then go win the puck after that and force their goalie to make saves," Bruce Cassidy said. "He might do that, he might not, and I think that’s why we ended up struggling to score.”
Particularly on the blue line, the Bruins have labored when it comes to generating scoring chances. Now, that’s not to say that Boston is expecting the likes of Charlie McAvoy and Torey Krug to be gliding through Toronto’s zone a la Orr in the 70’s, but when both offensive catalysts on the back end have only landed seven combined shots on goal during 185:46 of 5v5 TOI this series, that’s a problem — and one less area of the ice for the Leafs to worry about.
I mean, when you’re passing up a shot here — down a pair of goals with less than three minutes remaining in regulation — you’re making things awfully easy for the opposition.
“We’ve got to throw these punches,” McAvoy said Saturday. “We’ve got to get in their end, and we’ve got to get pressure. We’ve got to forecheck, we’ve got to be resilient. Because they’ve been doing it all series to us. They’re dumping it in, they’re getting it back. They’re going low to high. We know their gameplan, but we’ve got to get some O-zone time and we’ve got to make it hard on them like they’ve been doing to us.”
McAvoy added: “It means generating more scoring from everywhere. We’ve got four lines and three sets of D. Everyone needs to play to the best of their ability, whether that’s big blocked shots, scoring goals, killing plays. Whatever it is. Our backs are against the wall now, so every shift matters.”
Other Notes:
Squandering an opportunity
A first-round exit in and of itself would be a massive step back for a Bruins team that finished in a tie for the second-most points accrued in the NHL this season, but the result would be even harder to bear given the current state of the NHL’s playoff bracket.
If Boston is able to win out the next two games and get past the Leafs, the B’s would hold home ice advantage for the remainder of the postseason — with the Presidents’ Trophy-winning and overall juggernaut Tampa Bay Lightning swept in shocking fashion by the Blue Jackets and the Western-Conference leading Flames extinguished by another Wild-Card club in the Avalanche.
Anything can happen when it comes to the NHL Playoffs, and it’s not to say that teams like Columbus will roll over for the remainder of the postseason. But with Tampa Bay out and the Capitals knocked on their heels by the Hurricanes (and without T.J. Oshie for an indefinite amount of time), Boston may not have a better chance to put together a sustained run for the Cup.
Which makes Boston’s current shortcomings against Toronto all the more frustrating.
“Every year writes its own story, so you value it,” Cassidy said on Saturday. “But this is a whole new group, and they’ve got to find their way. That was the message this morning. There was a lack of urgency last night in our play, and at times, it was there, but in general, I don’t think this team has reached where it can get to yet in the playoffs at all, in terms of team play. We’ve had pockets of it. We’ve certainly played well at times … but we have to reach our level if we expect to advance.”
Expect more shuffling in the B's lineup for Sunday's matinee — here's what the lineup looked like during Saturday's practice:
Marchand - Bergeron - Pastrnak
DeBrusk - Krejci - Johansson
Heinen - Coyle - Kuhlman
Nordstrom - Kuraly - Wagner
Acciari - Backes
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Chara - McAvoy
Krug - Carlo
Moore - Grzelcyk
Kampfer - Clifton
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Rask
Halak
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- While Boston’s top line has labored this series against the Leafs — the same can’t be said for the Avalanche’s top trio of Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog, who combined for nine goals and 21 points in Colorado’s series win over Calgary in just five games. Following the Flames exit, likely 2019 Norris Trophy winner Mark Giordano even said that it’s time to start putting MacKinnon in the same tier with players like Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid. He might have a point.
- For all the flak that Tuukka Rask catches, especially around the postseason, please be grateful, Bruins fans — because you could always be the San Jose Sharks. San Jose is a ridiculously talented club, but Martin Jones and Aaron Dell have posted save percentages of .866 and .861, respectively, so far this postseason. Methinks the Sharks are really regretting not swinging a trade for a pick-up in net like Jimmy Howard back in February.