Home Ain’t So Sweet for B’s
By Lauren Rose
The Boston Bruins currently find themselves slipping from playoff contention in twelfth place. Just about the only good news as of right now is that a mere four points separate the Bruins from sixth place Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference. Now, every game becomes more crucial than the last, over the halfway mark of the season.
Boston, which is now on a seven game losing streak, will face the hated Montreal Canadiens Thursday night. The Habs recently lost their best player, Michael Cammalleri for more than six weeks. Montreal sits in seventh place in the conference, but just three points ahead of Beantown.
Before the Bruins could look towards their tilt with their biggest rival, the team returned home after their West coast swing, and since then has not one a game. Losses to the Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators (twice), Columbus Blue Jackets, Carolina Hurricanes, Buffalo Sabres and the hottest team in hockey, Washington Capitals.
The most recent loss to the Capitals wasn’t all terrible…until the third period started. In what seemed like a minor turnaround for the Bruins, turned out to be the same in the end, losing 4-1.
The B’s were able to play 40 full minutes on Tuesday night; unfortunately the games are 60 minutes long. Washington, who has won a team-best 11 consecutive games, put the Bruins down five minutes into the third. Brooks Laich notched his 17th goal of the season. The goal came from a turnover made by Boston defenseman Matt Hunwick.
“I’ve replayed that about 100 times in my head,” Hunwick told the Associated Press. “After I blocked the shot, I controlled it for a second. I just wanted to keep puck control for us. I wanted to keep possession and not just fire it (forward) off the glass. But, obviously, in the third period maybe that’s the safer play.”
Boyd Gordon made it 3-1 with his second of the season two minutes later, while the NHL’s Poster Boy Alex Ovechkin tapped in the empty net with 32 seconds left in the game.
Notes: The only Bruin to score in the game was David Krejci, who later missed on a penalty shot…Captain Zdeno Chara has been playing with a broken finger and may need surgery in the off-season…Bruins defenseman Mark Stuart missed the game after having surgery Monday for a broken left pinky finger and is expected to be sidelined four weeks…The Bruins went 1 for 4 on the power play in the first period after having two or fewer power-play opportunities in eight of their previous 10 games. … At home, the Bruins are 0-6-1 since their last win on Jan. 1, 2-1 over the Philadelphia Flyers in the outdoor Winter Classic at Fenway Park.
