BSJ Game Report: Senators 3, Bruins 2 - Ullmark exits, Bruins drop 3rd straight game in regulation

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

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES 

Ullmark exits game, Bruins unravel: Before the puck even dropped on Thursday night, the Bruins were dealt a bad omen when it comes to the familiar sting of the injury bug — with Patrice Bergeron taking an errant puck off the face during warmups.

Sure enough, that misfortune carried over into the contest against Ottawa, with Linus Ullmark not returning to the game at the start of the second period after taking a slapshot off his mask in the early going. While Ullmark finished the first period without issue, he did have an on-ice meeting with assistant trainer Joe Robinson — and Bruce Cassidy did note postgame that Ullmark was “not feeling well”.

With Ullmark’s exit, Thursday stands as the fifth time in the last six games that the Bruins have lost at least one player to an in-game injury. And sure enough, the Bruins completely unraveled once Ullmark was down for the count, with a two-goal lead evaporating in record time in what was an eventual 3-2 loss to the Senators. 

It’s impossible to ignore the number of injuries (and bad luck) that have thinned out this B’s depth chart over the last two weeks, but the B’s once again made things hard on themselves due to mismanaged pucks and a woeful power play that has not cashed in on 23 straight opportunities.

The 2021-22 Bruins are now in uncharted territory, with Thursday’s loss marking their third straight defeat in regulation — their longest stretch of futility since dropping four straight back in December 2019.  

On a night in which the Bruins could have clinched a playoff berth with at least one point against Ottawa, the B’s instead put themselves further out of the Atlantic Division race — with the Lightning now three points ahead of them in third place. But with the Capitals surging, the Bruins also need to pay some attention to their rearview mirror, with Washington now three points behind them in the Wild Card.

The last thing you want to do is drop to the second wild-card spot and lock yourself in for a first-round meeting with the Panthers.

THREE UP

Marc McLaughlin: Make it three goals in six games for McLaughlin up in the NHL ranks now. The Billerica native is making the most of his opportunity, earning a look at the 4C on Thursday following Boston’s latest lineup reshuffle. The BC product could quickly develop into a regular contributor on that checking unit, especially over the final weeks of this season.

Jesper Froden: Good on Froden for scoring his first career NHL goal as Boston’s temporary stopgap in the top-six unit. The Swedish forward — signed to a one-year deal with Boston after some strong seasons overseas — put himself in a great spot down low in the closing minutes of the first period, tipping a Matt Grzelcyk shot past Anton Forsberg to give Boston a 2-0 lead at the time.

Linus Ullmark … in the first period: Well, it was a good start for Ullmark before he had to leave due to injury. Even though he only needed to make eight stops in the first 20 minutes of action, a number of those saves were on Grade-A chances, with Ullmark keeping the Senators off the board despite some strong surges.  

ONE GOOD/BAD

Jeremy Swayman: Swayman was put in a brutal spot when it came to jumping right into the game at the start of the second period — but the Bruins still needed a lot more from him early on, with Brady Tkachuk firing the first puck he faced past him from a tough angle to give Ottawa some life. However, Swayman did get stronger as the game went on, including a number of breakaway stops in the third that prevented things from getting out of hand. 

TWO BIG DOWN

Power play: The Bruins have left a looooooot of points on the table over the last few weeks, and a hefty chunk of the blame has to fall on a power play that has not cashed in on its last 23 opportunities. Just ugly, ugly stuff from this unit. No Pastrnak? Sure. But frankly, this group still has far too much talent to be stuck in a rut quite like this. 

Top Players: Yes, it’s good to see guys like Froden and McLaughlin contribute on the scoresheet, but the Bruins desperately need more production from their top talent — especially that Marchand-Bergeron-DeBrusk line. Even though some production has been there when it comes to a guy like Marchand (19 points in his last 18 games), it’s pretty clear from the eye test that the B’s top left winger is not right. 

PLAY OF THE GAME

LOOSE PUCKS 

The Boston Bruins honored their 1972 Stanley Cup-winning team on Thursday ahead of puck drop — with Ken Hodge, Rick Smith, Don Marcotte, Garry Peters, Dallas Smith, Don Awrey, John Bucyk and family members of the late Ace Bailey and John McKenzie taking part in the ceremony. 

LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins will close out their three-game homestand on Saturday afternoon with a matinee matchup against the Penguins. Puck drop is set for 12:30 p.m.