After seemingly turning a corner with back-to-back shutouts this past weekend, the Boston Bruins went back to their old ways on Tuesday.
Allowing three power play goals in a 4-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs ended the Bruins’ chances of winning their first three games of the season. But they will look to start a new streak when the Calgary Flames visit Boston on Thursday.
Tuesday marked the fourth time Boston has given up three goals to a man in a 10-game span and the third time he has been shut out. The power play went 0-for-6 against Anthony Stolarz and the Maple Leafs, who have lost eight regular-season meetings between the teams.
“The players who get the right to be vulnerable or play hard, as well as us coaches, have to be better in our scheme and … in our execution,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said.
David Pastrnak (six goals, 11 points) took four shots on goal and drew three penalties in 22:18 for Toronto after being benched for the third time in Sunday’s 2-0 win over the Seattle Kraken. He played more than any Bruins forward.
It was evidence of a solid 5-on-5 game, but special teams — the power play ranked 29th (13.3 percent) and the penalty kill ranked 20th (76.2) in the NHL — need to improve.
“Honestly, it was a tough loss, but I feel like we were there for most of the game and the special teams hurt us,” Pastrnak said.
Montgomery sees overall improvement, however.
“Our practices and expertise are growing,” Montgomery said. “You don’t like to lose 4-0, but they got three power play goals. Looking at our 5-on-5 game, we don’t think we’re giving up that much … We still haven’t done that. ‘get the O-zone time we like to have, but that’s a work in progress.”
The Bruins lost defenseman Andrew Peeke (concussion) following a hit by Toronto’s Max Pacioretty in the first half on Tuesday. There is no update on his condition.
The Flames have won two of three since a four-game skid and arrive in Boston for the second game of a three-game Atlantic Division road trip after defeating the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in overtime on Tuesday.
The star of the night was 21-year-old Matt Coronato, who scored two goals — first with 2:46 left in regulation and then seven seconds into overtime — in just his third game since being promoted to Calgary from American Hockey. League.
The Harvard product has four goals in eight NHL games this season.
“The kid can shoot it, a couple big shots,” teammate Blake Coleman said of Coronato. “He’s really talented and he’s a very active and humble kid, he brings a lot to the table.”
Connor Zary, who was recently demoted to the fourth line, scored Calgary’s first goal. 23-year-old Dustin Wolf made 15 of his 21 saves in the first half to keep the game scoreless.
While the bright performances of the young Flames’ roster have been encouraging, coach Ryan Huska, like Montgomery, has a team with questions to answer in special situations.
Calgary’s power play ranks 23rd in the NHL (15.8), but only one of their six goals has come in the last eight games. The penalty kill was the worst of the two units at 27th (72.1).
Five to five, there are things that happen to us,” said Huska. “I like the effort we have from everyone on our roster, (but) we just want to try to get the other side of the game going.”
–Field Level Media
Source link
