BSJ Game Report: Kings 3, Bruins 2 (OT) - Bruins let another game slip away

Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Kings, with BSJ insight and analysis: 

Box Score

HEADLINES 

Bruins' issues with closing out games come back to bite them 

For the third time in less than a week, the Bruins let a late lead slip away in a frustrating night at TD Garden.

After relinquishing a goal with just seconds left on the clock during Saturday’s road tilt in Columbus, the Bruins managed to bounce back, outlasting the Blue Jackets in the shootout and salvaging two points in what was an ugly win.

But if you continue to play with fire, you’re eventually going to get burned. 

And after coughing up a netfront goal to Trevor Moore with 26 seconds to go, the Bruins were unable to get off the mat on Monday — with Andreas Athanasiou cashing in off a breakaway in overtime to lift the Kings to a 3-2 comeback win. 

Although Boston was able to at least come away with a point in the loss (an improvement over last Tuesday’s crushing regulation defeat at the hands of the Ducks), letting valuable points slip away in a winnable game against a solid opponent stands as a tough pill to swallow. Even though Bruce Cassidy noted postgame that some more puck luck (or lack thereof) was involved in this result, the Bruins very well could have posted a 9-0-0 stretch over the last two-plus weeks if it wasn't for these two letdowns against the Ducks and Kings. 

"The commonality in Anaheim and Columbus was we took penalties," Cassidy said. "So now it's six-on-four. And then didn't do a good enough job managing the puck. Today, they were on the outside and I mean — they had an off-net shot, had to be three feet wide, we knocked it down, our own defenseman, right to them. So that's a little bit of tough luck on that particular play. I mean, the other ones I think were more self-inflicted. This one, I thought we'd kept them to the outside. It wasn't a bunch of shots. And unfortunately, once we knocked the puck down, we lost position on Moore in front and it's an easy tap-in."

Could Bruins' priorities at deadline start to shift?

For months now, we’ve focused most of our deadline-related discourse on the need for Boston to secure another top-six pivot — both for this season and the years ahead.

That sentiment might still stand – but it sure feels like Boston’s priorities might be starting to shift just a bit. 

Erik Haula’s continued strong play as the man in the middle between Taylor Hall and David Pastrnak has certainly offered some reassurance for Boston in terms of having a capable offensive trio in place.

But more than anything, the play of the third line of Craig Smith, Trent Frederic and Charlie Coyle might force Boston to focus on a scoring winger ahead of March 21 (at least the club commits to moving Jake DeBrusk).

Because even though a shot-first veteran in Smith stands as a pretty solid contingency plan on the top line, I don’t think you can break up this third line right now, not when they’re cashing in on chances like this.  

If DeBrusk is indeed sent packing in the coming weeks, the Bruins need to slot in another talented forward without disrupting what’s marinating in their middle-six grouping. Even though a brutal turnover by Coyle set up Athanasiou’s game winner, the Bruins will gladly take a third line that cashes in twice during 5v5 action — as was the case during regulation play on Monday.

THREE UP

Third line: You simply can’t break up this line right now. Be it Smith finally getting off the scoring schneid (five goals in three games), Coyle cashing in regularly (nine points in last 12 games) or Frederic looking like an NHL regular at left wing, this bottom-six unit is rolling right now, and looking like a potential weapon come the postseason. 

Penalty kill: Honestly, Boston’s penalty kill could have relinquished a tally or two and I still would have put them on this side of the list due to this O-zone clinic put forth by Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Just a complete pantsing.

Linus Ullmark: Yes, the Bruins coughed up yet another late lead — but tough to really pin this one on Ullmark. All things considered, the veteran netminder made sure that the Bruins were able to secure at least a point thanks to some Grade-A stops with his glove. Was it a complete bounce-back performance from a goalie whose game has dipped some over the last few weeks? No, but it sure looked like a step in the right direction as Boston tries to get both of their goalies rolling at the same time. 

FOUR DOWN

David Pastrnak: He had some quality looks as the game progressed and was finishing a couple of checks, but Pastrnak got worked in the D-zone here on Blake Lizotte’s first-period tally. 

Charlie Coyle: Coyle giveth, Coyle taketh away. Ultimately, Coyle finished with three helpers on the night - with an errant feed setting up Athanasiou’s OT winner. 

"As for the overtime, well, you got to value the puck, the play at the end is just not a very good hockey play," Cassidy said. "Let's face it. So we give up a breakaway — we got what we deserved in that play, that's for sure."

Charlie McAvoy: Rough finish for McAvoy in this one, with the B’s top blueliner losing the battle inside to Moore on the last-minute equalizer. Some bad luck involved, but still not a good look with two points ripe for the taking there. 

Jack Ahcan: Pressed into service after Matt Grzelcyk was ruled out with an upper-body injury, Ahcan struggled at times against a fast and physical Kings forward corps, especially when pressured with the puck. Not the easiest matchup for a smaller blueliner thrown into game action.

PLAY OF THE GAME

LOOSE PUCKS

LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins will continue their three-game homestand on Thursday with a matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.