BOSTON – The Bruins are now a few games removed from their four-game losing streak of a couple of weeks ago and they are still very comfortably in first place in the Atlantic Division with a four-point lead over their closest competitors.
So, one would think they are completely out of that mini-funk after a 3-2 win over a hungry Sabres team in a Thursday night divisional showdown at TD Garden, right? It’s two wins in a row for the Bruins and three wins in the past four games, with the only loss a shootout defeat to the Capitals, so the Bruins are happy with their game right now, correct?
Well, not exactly.
The Bruins were outshot 17-4 in the first period in what Bruce Cassidy called Boston’s “worst start of the year” and needed Herculean performances from Tuukka Rask (36 saves) and Brad Marchand (two goals) to take the two points after the dreadful start. Basically they had a pretty strong second period, but the Bruins were otherwise outshot 31-13 by the Sabres while showing even-strength offensive issues and some really soft play around their own net.
It was in some ways reminiscent of their four-game losing stretch, but the difference was that Rask was back on his “A” game while bailing the Black and Gold.
“We didn’t play our game tonight; we won with our B game. We won with goaltending, timely scoring on special teams and power plays. There’s a lot of areas of our game that were not good enough [against the Sabres], and we got away with it,” said Cassidy. “I thought pretty much all facets of our game were strong [against New Jersey], so sometimes it’s just, ‘hey what’s the opposition bringing’
Boston Bruins
“But I just thought for us, [there was] no urgency early on where you need to have that every night in this league. I don’t think where we want to be. I don’t think any team is; maybe the Islanders with their streaks, but we’re not. We’re still building our game and able to win in the process is a good thing; it’s a sign of a good team. But we’ve got a ways to go.”
Certainly, there will be plenty of material for the Bruins coaching staff to use as ammunition in video work with the players. The complete underestimating of the Sabres team early on and the soft-shell defense that relied far too much on Rask’s brilliance throughout the game could have been Boston’s undoing.
It didn't happen this time around against a Buffalo team outclassed by Boston’s wattage with star performances from Rask, Marchand and David Pastrnak, but the Bruins might not be so lucky next time around if they don’t get things together. It really doesn’t appear the B’s have their overall game together as they did a month ago in a torrid start. That needs to change if the Bruins are going to hit their full potential.
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