Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 2-1 loss against the Blue Jackets in Game 3, with BSJ insight and analysis:
Box Score
HEADLINES
Big guns again go silent: Sergei Bobrovsky stole the show in what was a 2-1 victory for Columbus in Game 3 on Tuesday night, turning aside 35 of the 36 shots he faced, en route to the Blue Jackets securing a 2-1 edge in the best-of-seven series. While Boston threatened Bobrovsky throughout the night — with three attempts sailing past the Blue Jackets netminder and clanging off the post — the B’s were also thwarted once again by a startling lack of production up front by the skaters that have delivered all season long for Boston.
Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak might have spent some extended shifts away from one another, but the combined output was once again seriously underwhelming. Together, the trio combined for 10 shots on goal, but was again manhandled by a Blue Jackets club that has thrived this postseason when it comes to negating the opposition’s top scoring threat. Pastrnak, who was mugged for most of the night and also appeared to injure his leg/ankle, was again plagued by turnovers and didn’t land a SOG until early in the third period, while a careless high stick from Marchand allowed the Jackets to pot one past Tuukka Rask at 12:42 in the second.
Special teams continue to slump:
Changes might be in order for Boston’s top power-play unit, as that group has failed to bury anything past Bobrovsky on nine separate attempts so far this series, while only landing four shots on goal during that stretch. Having zero production from your top line will hurt you during 5v5 play. Having close to nothing to show for on the power play as well is a death sentence against a team like Columbus
.
THREE UP
Jake DeBrusk:
It wasn’t looking good once again for DeBrusk, who only logged 2:55 of 5v5 TOI in the opening stanza and has been limited to just two points in his first nine postseason games. But the ice-cold winger finally put Boston on the board with 39.9 seconds to go in the second period off of a nice rush toward Bobrovsky
. Good to see DeBrusk going back to his bread and butter by bringing a puck to the dirty areas.
Charlie McAvoy:
McAvoy was one of the few proactive players in the O-zone for the Bruins on Tuesday, drilling a shot off the post in the opening period while logging 24:00 TOI. Despite handling plenty of shifts against
Artemi Panarin
’s line, McAvoy often traded multiple chances with Columbus’ big guns — setting up
Noel Acciari
for a clean slot shot that also clanged off the post in the third period.
Torey Krug:
A pretty solid night from Krug, who was out on the ice for 22 shot attempts for Boston and just 12 in favor of Columbus in 17:12 of 5v5 TOI. A strong backchecking effort by Krug also prevented an empty-net goal for the Jackets in the final minutes of regulation.
FOUR DOWN
Bruins PK:
While most of the Bruins’ special-teams woes have been focused on the team's stagnant power play, the penalty kill can’t be left off the hook either. After surrendering a pair of power-play goals in Saturday’s Game 2 loss on Saturday, Boston’s PK was absolutely hemmed in during the second period when Marchand was sent off for a high stick. After holding the puck in the B’s zone for the entire stretch of the penalty,
Matt Duchene
finally cashed in on a rebound with just 15 seconds remaining before Marchand was released. Brutal.
David Pastrnak:
Pastrnak might have been slotted into a bottom-six role for most of the night (9:19 TOI on the third line), but the change of scenery didn’t do much to get the winger out of his slump. Even when Cassidy did opt to put No. 88 back up with Bergeron and Marchand, it took Boston’s leading goal scorer until 2:53 in the third period to land a shot against Bobrovsky. That’s … not good. Once a catalyst in the O-zone, Pastrnak has become a black hole for playmaking over the last couple of weeks, and it’s killing the Bruins.
Bruins power play:
After only landing two shots on goal in 6:22 of 5v4 TOI during Saturday’s loss at TD Garden, a slumping Bruins power play didn’t fare much better in Nationwide Arena — landing just two shots on goal in 2:18 of time on the man advantage. Credit an aggressive Blue Jackets PK that took away time and space, but Boston struggled to establish much of any zone presence during their full stint on the power play, while another 5v4 bid was negated just seconds into the sequence after Bergeron was whistled for a trip just 17 seconds later.
Brad Marchand:
Limited to just three shots on goal and now scoreless in his last four postseason games, Marchand also cost the Bruins in other areas of the game on Tuesday, as a high-sticking call against No. 63 allowed Duchene to score the Jackets’ game-winning tally in the second period. Also, this is a bad look:
PLAY OF THE GAME
While most of Boston’s top-six might be out of order, DeBrusk at least managed to get on the board in the second period.
PARTING THOUGHT
Even
Mike Milbury
is not a big fan of the Blue Jackets’ cannon at Nationwide Arena.
LOOKING AHEAD
The series will remain at Nationwide Arena for another night, as Game 4 will get underway on Thursday night in Columbus. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m.
