For Some Reason, The Islanders Have Been Kryptonite For The B's In Their Two Games In '21

 

    Sports are weird in the sense that every season there are certain opposing players and teams that always give you fits, even if they're not that good (like the Pistons with the Celtics). The Islanders (6-4-3) have proven to be a major thorn in the Bruins' (10-2-2) side thus far in 2021. Tonight at Nassau Coliseum, New York beat Boston 4-2 which prevented the Bruins from sweeping their three games in New York this week (after winning twice in NYC vs. the Rangers). The loss snapped the Bruins' five-game win streak and also handed them just their second regulation loss of the season. Ironically enough, the Isles were the team to beat Boston that other time too. This looked like the last game of a road trip for the B's since they were outshot 42-30, they allowed a power play goal and a shorthanded goal plus goaltender Tuukka Rask (38 saves, 6-2-1) gave up a weak goal that shouldn't have gone in.

    The good news for the Black and Gold is that they will have six more cracks at the Isles, including four matchups at TD Garden before the playoffs start this spring. This evening began on a high note for the Bruins as left wing Brad Marchand fired a shot past Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov (28 saves, 6-2-2) at 8:41 of the first period. Center Patrice Bergeron found him with a sweet backhand pass while right wing David Pastrnak had the second assist on Marchand's team-high ninth goal of the season. New York only trailed for less than three minutes as center Jean-Gabriel Pageau went to the net and was able to put in a rebound at 11:36. Defenseman Ryan Pulock and right wing Leo Komarov (fresh off not being clamed on waivers) provided the assists on JGP's third goal of the season. The Islanders took a 2-1 lead at 15:16 as right wing Jordan Eberle's shot from distance leaked through Rask's five-hole. Eberle's sixth goal of the season was assisted by center Brock Nelson and defenseman Scott Mayfield but he really should have been thanking Boston's goalie for letting that innocent shot go in. 

    The first line for the Bruins provided all of their offense (which is hardly ever a good thing against a decent opponent) because Bergeron tied it up with assists from Marchand and Pastrnak at 16:51 of the second period. Bergy's goal-scoring tends to come and go at times which is why it's nice to see him get off to such a good start this season in that department. Boston played the last two periods with five defensemen after Jakub Zboril left in the first period with an upper-body injury and he never returned to action. Not to throw out all the possible excuses at once but keep in mind that the B's were also playing in the second game of a back-to-back after a rare Friday contest last night at MSG. The Isles sure looked like the more rested club in what crazy NESN Bruins announcer Jack Edwards likes to call "winning time." Center Mathew Barzal absolutely destroyed a one-timer from the slot at 5:30 of the third period for what turned out to be the game-winning goal-his sixth tally of the season. Left wing Anders Lee and Eberle notched the assists on Barzal's cannon that went top shelf giving Rask no chance to stop it. Pageau clinched it with a shorthanded goal at 14:32 after Boston fumbled with the puck trying to get their power play set up. New York briefly had a 2-on-1 and Komarov led JGP with a sweet saucer pass that he was able to corral and put in the net. 

    Thanks to another team's Covid-19 outbreak, the Bruins will hopefully reap the reward of a mini-break since they were scheduled to meet New Jersey (4-3-2) on Monday at the Garden but the Devils haven't played since January 31. They are hoping to get back to work on Thursday (7, NESN) against the B's in Boston, fingers crossed that it happens. The B's get tomorrow (Valentine's Day) off and then they will practice on Monday at Warrior Ice Arena in preparation for NJ. Head coach Bruce Cassidy and his coaching staff used their unexpected time off last week (when Buffalo couldn't play) wisely since the Bruins won the next two games against the Rangers.

The Bruins Blow A 2-Goal Lead In 3rd Period, Suffer A Brutal 4-3 Loss In OT vs. the Maple Leafs

If the Bruins hope to reach the postseason this spring, losses like the one they experienced on Tuesday at TD Garden simply cannot happen. Boston (26-18-6) was up 3-1 on Toronto (18-22-9) early in the third period but then they proceeded to cough that up as the Maple Leafs tied it with two more tip-in goals and won it on overtime thanks to P.A. Parenteau's backhander on the power play.

The B's (11-14-2) have found numerous painful ways to lose on their home ice already this season but this was a new low for them. The Leafs certainly play much harder under new head coach Mike Babcock (and they unveiled a new logo after the game!) but they possess very little talent. In fact, making this loss more stunning for Boston was the fact that Tuukka Rask (17-15-5; 31 saves) came in with a 14-3-1 lifetime record against Toronto while Maple Leafs goaltender James Reimer (9-8-6; 39 saves) was 5-6-3. I guess it was fitting in a way since a Bruins win would have given them a season sweep after they had beaten the Leafs three times in a row for 2015-16.

It was the first game for both clubs since the All-Star break and Brad Marchand continued his great goal-scoring stretch. He added two more goals (his team-leading 21st and 22nd of the season) which gives him seven goals and one assist in his last eight contests. He put in a rebound at 9:37 of the first period, from Jimmy Hayes and Matt Beleskey. UNH's Daniel Winnik tied it at one with a tip-in at 9:56 of the second period. Roman Polak and Shawn Matthias assisted on Winnik's fourth goal of the season.

Boston came out flying to start the third as Marchand redirected a pass by David Krejci for a 2-1 lead 55 seconds into the frame. David Pastrnak had the second assist on Marchand's go-ahead tally. Just 26 seconds after that, Krejci poked in a loose puck for his 12th goal of the season and a seemingly comfortable 3-1 Bruins advantage. Torey Krug and Pastrnak assisted on Krejci's goal.

The Bruins were 21-2-2 when leading by two or more goals this season, although this marked the seventh time that they have blown a two-goal lead (5 in regulation & 2 in overtime). It wasn't anything fancy produced by the Maple Leafs in their unlikely comeback as they went to the dirty areas in the slot and redirected shots from the point. Their lone All-Star Leo Komarov cut it to 3-2 at 9:02 when he tipped in Morgan Rielly's shot. Polak picked up another assist on Komarov's 17th goal of the season. Boston apparently never really adjusted their defensive coverage as Nazem Kadri hurt them by doing the same exact thing: his tip-in came 2:29 after Komarov's. Former Bruins scrub Matt Hunwick and Komarov picked up assists on the emerging Kadri's 11th goal of the season.

Even before it fully unfolded, overtime had a sour taste for the B's as David Krejci was called for a holding penalty. Boston was able to kill that 4-on-3 Toronto power play for 1:23 but then Parenteau ended it by flipping in a rebound. Jake Gardiner and Kadri assisted on Parenteau's 12th goal of the season. In a stat which makes no sense whatsoever, Boston fell to 1-5 in overtime this season while they are 3-1 in shootouts. Huh? Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs picked up their first OT win (1-4) while they are 4-5 in shootouts.

The B's get a point from this debacle (you have to remember that) but no question it should have been two without breaking a sweat. Boston's supposedly cake schedule to start the second half continues as they are at Buffalo (20-26-4) on Thursday (7, NESN) then they host the Sabres here on Saturday (7, NESN). The Bruins have already been embarrassed by the Sabres earlier this season (6-3 in Boston on December 26) so I can't imagine that they would overlook them again. Plus, at this point there is nobody in the NHL that they can automatically pencil in a win against, especially at the Garden. Ugh.

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B's End 2014 in Disappointing Fashion: Rallying From 2 Goals Down Then Losing in a Shootout

By virtue of their frustrating 4-3 shootout loss tonight at TD Garden vs. Toronto (21-14-3), Boston (19-15-4) made sure that December of 2014 was their first losing month (5-6-3) since February 2012 (5-7-1). There is plenty to say about this one since Boston trailed 3-1 in the second period but rallied in the same frame to tie it then dominated the third and overtime yet still fell short.

This game meant extra since a win would have tied the Bruins up with the Maple Leafs in the standings, instead Toronto is now three points ahead and comfortably in the playoff picture (6th in the Eastern Conference) while Boston sits one point behind Washington for the last spot. Yes, just over half of the regular season remains but the more that time goes by, the harder it is for the B's to make up any ground on all these other clubs in the Northeast Division let alone the East.

Getting out to better starts and having more consistency for the entire game are two general areas that are killing the Bruins. Toronto jumped ahead 1-0 at 10:22 of the first period when Leo Komarov scored on a one-timer from the slot (his 5th goal of the season), assisted by Peter Holland who was behind the net. Phil Kessel drew an ultra-rare penalty shot but Tuukka Rask (18 saves) was able to stop it late in the first period. Kessel is now 1 for 3 in his career on penalty shots while Rask has stopped 4 of 6.

If you were in line getting a beer (it is New Year's Eve after all) or at the bathroom, you probably missed two goals that occurred before the first minute had passed in the second period. Carl Soderberg deflected in Reilly Smith's shot from the point 17 seconds in (his 8th goal of the season), a power play goal that tied it at one. Former UNH star James van Riemsdyk put Toronto in front again 31 seconds later as he finished off a lethal 2-on-1 with Phil Kessel for his 17th goal of the season.

Kessel's power play goal, his team-leading 18th of the season, gave the Leafs a 3-1 lead but this being Toronto, they couldn't handle a lead in Boston (sound familiar?). Jonathan Bernier (25 saves) played the role of James Reimer for the duration of the second as he let in a bizarre pair of goals. That's right, the Bruins got not one but two breaks that led to goals (when has that ever happened this season for them?). David Krejci's shot deflected in off Cody Franson for his fifth goal of the season at 15:28 than 2:03 after that, Torey Krug's centering pass (intended for Krejci) went off Komarov's skate by Bernier for his seventh goal of the season.

Boston outshot Toronto 9-2 in the third and 4-0 in overtime but they couldn't find the game-winner. Mike Santorelli scored in the first round of the shootout, Krug answered in the second then it took Nazem Kadri's goal in the fifth round to end it and send fans on their drunken but merry way. Hey, they cut down on my drinking time!

The Bruins end this huge three-game homestand on Saturday afternoon (1, NESN) vs. the Senators (15-14-7) who are in much worse shape than them. Needless to say, Boston has to get two points from that contest, no matter how they obtain them.

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