BSJ Game Report: Penguins 4, Bruins 1 - Halak stumbles, secondary scoring remains flat in another loss

Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 4-1 loss to the Penguins in quickie form, with BSJ insight and analysis:

Box Score

HEADLINES

Strong start not enough as B's drop another in regulation

After attempting just 37 shots — and only landing 18 of them on goal — during Saturday's loss to the Rangers, the Bruins managed to funnel more pucks in against Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry on Monday, entering the first intermission with 19 shots on goal. But even with a higher shot volume — including a power-play tally from Matt Grzelcyk — the Bruins still trailed, 2-1, after 20 minutes of play.

If it's not one thing, it's been the other for the Bruins during their downward spiral, with a leaky showing from Jaroslav Halak — coupled with that same ol' secondary-scoring woes — leading to an eventual 3-1 loss for the Bruins, who remain stuck in neutral with the Pens, Capitals and Islanders continuing to pull away at the top of the division.

Boston couldn't have asked for a better start, with Grzelcyk cashing in on the power play after firing in a puck that sailed past a screened Jarry (stick tap to Nick Ritchie for the work down low), but that positive shift in momentum was negated in a hurry after Halak, who has largely bailed out Boston during this extended stretch as the team's de-facto No. 1 netminder, let in a softie from Evan Rodrigues at 16:51, with the puck slipping past the B's goalie and knotting the score at 1-1.

https://twitter.com/penguins/status/1371632681818017795

Just 1:43 later, the Penguins built a lead that they would not relinquish, with Sidney Crosby taking advantage of Halak not sealing off the post and promptly rifling a one-timer home to put Boston behind the eight-ball — and spoiling an encouraging stretch of O-zone time for Bruce Cassidy's club.

Unfortunately for Boston, a one-goal deficit feels more like a 10-goal hole given the state of the team's secondary scoring — and even though the Bruins finished the contest with 43 shots on goal against Jarry, only Grzelcyk's strike on the power play managed to sail past him.

With Monday's loss, the Bruins have now dropped seven of their last 10 games — and only sit one point ahead of the Flyers for fourth place (and the final playoff spot) in the East Division. Halak's slow start might have taken the air out of Boston's tires, but once again, the lack of even-strength production sealed the B's fate in this one.

TWO UP

Matt Grzelcyk: Grzelcyk was one of the highlights in a strong start for Boston, with the defenseman firing in a shot on the power play that sailed past a screened Jarry to give Boston a 1-0 lead. Even though Grzelcyk can be exposed at times when stuck in net-front battles against the opposition, he's overall been very, very good when healthy and in the lineup — especially when paired with Charlie McAvoy. Unlike some other passengers on the roster, Grzelcyk made a concerted effort to fire in pucks against Jarry, landing a career-high eight shots on goal in the loss.

Bergeron Line: They didn't generate a goal, but once again Boston only really managed to regularly string together promising shifts and consistent scoring chances when that trio was out on the ice. In their 10:04 of 5v5 ice time, the Bruins held a 16-2 edge in shots on goal — including a 10-0 edge in shots on goal when Bergeron was directly matched up against Crosby.

TWO DOWN

Jaroslav Halak: You wonder how the complexion of this game would have changed if Halak didn't let in a pair of softies in the opening period. Halak settled down as the game went on, but fair or unfair, the margin of error for this Bruins team is razor-thin, given the lack of consistent scoring right now.

Charlie Coyle: Again, we can call out a whooooole lot of Bruins skaters in this one once again, but man — the Coyle line continues to play a major role in this team's lack of even-strength scoring. Not only was the trio of Coyle, Ritchie and Anders Bjork out-shot, 5-2, in their 6:33 of 5v5 ice time, but Coyle himself has not landed a single shot on goal in the last FIVE games. Brutal.

PLAY OF THE GAME

https://twitter.com/ConorRyan_93/status/1371602612689178625

PARTING THOUGHTS

https://twitter.com/ConorRyan_93/status/1371604137234866177

QUOTE OF THE DAY

https://twitter.com/ConorRyan_93/status/1371638552895848448

LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins will be right back at it on Tuesday night, with Boston battling the Penguins again at PPG Paints Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. Either Dan Vladar or Jeremy Swayman is expected to get the start in net. Even though Tuukka Rask (undisclosed injury) traveled down to Pittsburgh and skated on Monday, the Bruins want to give him ample time to recover after not playing since back on March 7.