BSJ Game Report: Flyers 3, Bruins 2 (SO) - Krug hurt, another slow start dooms B’s as losing streak stretches to 3 games

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

Box Score

TOP TAKEAWAYS

B’s sleepwalk again: After dropping back-to-back games on the road (including a regulation loss to the cellar-dwelling Red Wings), one had to think that a little bit of home cooking would allow the Bruins to snap out of this recent funk, right?

Noooooope.

Against a Flyers team playing on the second leg of a back-to-back slate, Boston once again failed to show up at the drop of the puck — with Philly tallying two goals in the opening stanza, including a strike from Travis Konecny on a 4-on-1 chance for the visitors. 

While the Flyers padded their lead, the Bruins offered little in terms of a response, with Boston only generating nine shot attempts and three shots on goal during 18:00 of 5v5 TOI in the opening stanza. The second period? They only landed an additional two shots in on Carter Hart 14 minutes into the frame. 

Even if Boston surged back to tie things over the final 20 minutes of regulation, these extended snoozefests need to be curtailed in a hurry.

Ahead of the third period, the Bruins were ...

Out-attempted: 188-166
Out-shot: 118-76
Out-scored: 15-10

… in their previous 10 periods of play. Yuck.

B’s lose Krug late: 

It didn’t take very long for the red flags to be raised at TD Garden once the contest carried over into a shootout — as Torey Krug didn’t log one second of ice time during 3v3 play, an area of where his skills are often put to good use.

Postgame, Cassidy noted that Krug suffered an upper-body injury in the closing minutes of the third period — as the playmaking defenseman took a hit from Claude Giroux while Boston’s final power play of the evening winded down. 

https://twitter.com/ConorRyan_93/status/1193733434545446913

Cassidy added that the team should have a clearer picture on the severity of Krug’s injury on Monday morning, as he had yet to consult with the training staff by the time he spoke with the media. 

While Boston is no stranger to the injury bug this season, losing a player of Krug’s caliber would be a major blow for Boston, especially when it comes to the power play — which has once again functioned as one of the club’s get-out-of-jail-free cards when its offense sputters.

TWO UP

Danton Heinen: Make that four goals on the season for Heinen, who made the simple, smart move to crowd Hart at the netfront after Charlie Coyle fired one from deep. Boston’s second line was still out of wack for most of the night with Coyle bumped up to the wing, but Heinen hasn’t looked out of place since getting that top-six promotion a few weeks back. 

https://twitter.com/ConorRyan_93/status/1193713495893839873

Brad Marchand: Boston’s top line finally showed some signs of life late in the contest, allowing Boston to come away with at least a point on the night after Marchand snapped a puck past Hart at 12:22 in the third. 

THREE DOWN

David Pastrnak: Pastrnak and the Bruins’ top line has fallen into a bit of a rut as of late, but the B’s winger in particular is going to get knocked here for his lack of discipline, as he was whistled for his third offensive-zone penalty in the past two games when he was called for a hook against Ivan Provorov at 8:11 in the second. 

Charlie McAvoy: Cassidy was less than thrilled postgame when it came to McAvoy’s game, especially on the sequence that led to Konecny’s tally — in which the BU product was operating behind the Flyers’ net. Shortly after that, Cassidy pulled back his usual D pairings, with McAvoy once again skating with the more conservative Zdeno Chara. 

Shootout Participants: While Boston went with three skilled options in the shootout round in Coyle, Marchand and Pastrnak, it didn’t lead to much — with Hart turning aside all three chances that came his way. Cassidy and Co. might have to start switching things up, as Boston is now 0-for-7 this year in shootout situations, while Pastrnak also failed to convert a penalty shot in the final minutes of the third period. 

PLAY OF THE GAME: 

https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1193720066493308928

PARTING THOUGHTS: Wasn’t much in terms of positives to take away for most of the game, but the opening stanza did feature a nice moment for Zdeno Chara — who was given a standing ovation from the TD Garden crowd in recognition for playing in his 1,500th career game last week against Montreal. 

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LOOKING AHEAD: The Bruins will remain at TD Garden for another matchup on Tuesday, with the B’s set to welcome an Atlantic Division foe in the Florida Panthers. It will stand as a the first game for Noel Acciari against his former club — with the Rhode Island native up to four goals in his first 14 games with his new club.