technical details
  1. is_video => true
  2. alias => "boston\/\/bruins\/cassidy-we-didnt-execute-well-enough-pp-game-2-loss"
  3. nid => "868301"
  4. title => "Cassidy: 'We didn't execute well enough' on the PP in Game 2 loss"
  5. is_chrome_page => false
  6. article_body => "<p>BOSTON \u2013 It\u2019s becoming a fact of life in the playoffs that the Bruins are going to live and die with their power play.<\/p>\n<p>It was true all season while they were a team in the bottom third of the NHL during 5-on-5 play and it\u2019s been true in the Stanley Cup playoffs when the Bruins aren\u2019t nearly as effective offensively when the man advantage isn\u2019t firing properly. It happened again in Saturday night\u2019s 3-2 double-overtime loss in Game 2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets as the Bruins second PP unit managed to secure a goal, but their top unit was toothless against an extremely good Blue Jackets penalty kill.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/boston\/video\/highlights-blue-jackets-beat-bruins-3-2-double-ot?int\">Highlights: Columbus beats Boston in OT thriller<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If John Tortorella was singing its praises after the game was over, then you know the Columbus penalty kill had a field day for themselves against the Black and Gold.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s an important part of the game that\u2019s for sure. It could have gotten away from us there,\u201d said Tortorella. \u201cI just liked our desperation as far as killing penalties, blocking shots. [It\u2019s a] really important part of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Bruins went 1-for-4 on the PP counting Matt Grzelcyk\u2019s first period goal, but they also wasted a three-plus minute power play in the second period after Josh Anderson bloodied Sean Kuraly under his eye with a pretty reckless high-sticking infraction. Top offensive guns like Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand had their chances during even strength, but it was on the power play where Bruce Cassidy was disappointed with their play.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/boston\/bruins\/fatigued-bruins-team-prepared-dig-deep-after-double-ot-loss?int\" target=\"_blank\">Fatigued Bruins prepared to 'dig deep' after double-OT loss<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That doesn\u2019t even get into the major issues that David Pastrnak seems to be having hanging onto the puck, and the cross-ice passes that are continually getting deflected and cleared away by the active Columbus sticks on the penalty kill.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think where they could\u2019ve done better tonight as a group, but they\u2019re part of that group, is the power play. Clearly, that\u2019s the place to get going offensively, and we didn\u2019t execute well enough,\u201d said Cassidy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe got a goal off of [the power play], but really, it was not nearly to the level those guys have executed all year. Columbus has good sticks. You have to respect that.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re forcing plays and not executing the plays we should, and they\u2019re part of that group, so that\u2019s where \u2013 if I\u2019m going to lay blame on [Bergeron and Marchand] \u2013 it\u2019s more in that [power play] area than 5v5.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The good news in all of this for the Bruins? When they struggled on the power play last round vs. Toronto, it was temporary and in the next game, they returned to the form that made them a top-5 power play unit in the NHL pretty much all season. That should be the case again as the series moves to Columbus for the next couple of games, and the Bruins will need to their special teams to be in tip-top shape in order to wrest back control of this best-of-seven series.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/boston\/bruins\/talking-points-bruins-3-2-ot-loss-blue-jackets?int\" target=\"_blank\">Talking points from Bruins' 3-2 double-OT loss to the Blue Jackets&gt;&gt;&gt;<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><em><a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb76e2c06579?site_id%3DDig_RSN_Bos%26creative_id%3Dnbcsbos1075%26cp_4%3Dwww.nbcsports.com%26cp_1%3Dwashington%26cp_2%3Dmyteams-nbc-sports%26cp_3%3Dnbcsbos1075&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1556315979385000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHZfRTYsk7DWwfRpG2UAQAM3jVUdg\" href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb76e2c06579?site_id=Dig_RSN_Bos&amp;creative_id=nbcsbos1075&amp;cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&amp;cp_1=washington&amp;cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&amp;cp_3=nbcsbos1075\" target=\"_blank\">Click here<\/a>&nbsp;to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.<\/em><\/p>\n"
  7. author => "Joe Haggerty"
  8. mps => {"author":"Joe Haggerty","league":"","sport":"","sponsor":""}
  9. published => "1556455440"
  10. created => "1556456137"
  11. changed => "1556456399"
  12. status => "1"
  13. hero_image_credit => "USA Today Sports"
  14. tags => [{"tid":"10996","name":"Stanley Cup Playoffs","url":"tags\/stanley-cup-playoffs"},{"tid":"2441","name":"Columbus Blue Jackets","url":"tags\/columbus-blue-jackets"},{"tid":"12691","name":"Joe Haggerty","url":"tags\/joe-haggerty"},{"tid":"2691","name":"Boston Bruins","url":"tags\/boston-bruins"}]
  15. section => "Bruins"
  16. team => "Boston Bruins"
  17. image => {"uri":"public:\/\/archive\/assets_article\/boston\/2019\/04\/28\/haggs_bruins_have_edge_042319_1920x1080_1504986179834.jpg","alt":"haggs_bruins_have_edge_042319_1920x1080_1504986179834.jpg","title":"Haggerty: Here\u2019s why Bruins have the advantage in Round 2"}
  18. video_url => "https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/boston\/video\/haggerty-heres-why-bruins-have-advantage-round-2"
  19. is_mediaid => true
  20. mediaid => "mOW9g3KA0I8H"
  21. video_autoplay => true
  22. video_automute => true
  23. mpx_account_id => "BxmELC"
  24. player_id => "boston_article"
  25. chrome_data => "{\"league\":\"\",\"sport\":\"\",\"sponsor\":\"\"}"
  26. sponsor => ""
  27. region => "boston"
  28. fb_url => "https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dialog\/share?app_id=318214485357680&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fboston%2Fbruins%2Fcassidy-we-didnt-execute-well-enough-pp-game-2-loss&display=popup"
  29. tw_url => "https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Cassidy%3A%20%27We%20didn%27t%20execute%20well%20enough%27%20on%20the%20PP%20in%20Game%202%20loss&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fboston%2Fbruins%2Fcassidy-we-didnt-execute-well-enough-pp-game-2-loss&original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fboston%2Fbruins%2Fcassidy-we-didnt-execute-well-enough-pp-game-2-loss"
  30. mailto => "mailto:?subject=Cassidy%3A%20%27We%20didn%27t%20execute%20well%20enough%27%20on%20the%20PP%20in%20Game%202%20loss&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fboston%2Fbruins%2Fcassidy-we-didnt-execute-well-enough-pp-game-2-loss"
  31. tags_hide => []
  32. type => "article"
  33. meta => {"file":"\/mnt\/gfs\/rsnunited\/sites\/default\/files\/archive\/article\/boston\/bruins\/cassidy-we-didnt-execute-well-enough-pp-game-2-loss.json","assets":["public:\/\/archive\/assets_article\/boston\/2019\/04\/28\/haggs_bruins_have_edge_042319_1920x1080_1504986179834.jpg"]}
  34. orig_image => {"uri":"public:\/\/2019\/04\/24\/haggs_bruins_have_edge_042319_1920x1080_1504986179834.jpg","alt":"haggs_bruins_have_edge_042319_1920x1080_1504986179834.jpg","title":"Haggerty: Here\u2019s why Bruins have the advantage in Round 2"}
  35. article_type => "article"
Bruins

Bruins

BOSTON – It’s becoming a fact of life in the playoffs that the Bruins are going to live and die with their power play.

It was true all season while they were a team in the bottom third of the NHL during 5-on-5 play and it’s been true in the Stanley Cup playoffs when the Bruins aren’t nearly as effective offensively when the man advantage isn’t firing properly. It happened again in Saturday night’s 3-2 double-overtime loss in Game 2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets as the Bruins second PP unit managed to secure a goal, but their top unit was toothless against an extremely good Blue Jackets penalty kill.

If John Tortorella was singing its praises after the game was over, then you know the Columbus penalty kill had a field day for themselves against the Black and Gold.

“It’s an important part of the game that’s for sure. It could have gotten away from us there,” said Tortorella. “I just liked our desperation as far as killing penalties, blocking shots. [It’s a] really important part of the game.”

The Bruins went 1-for-4 on the PP counting Matt Grzelcyk’s first period goal, but they also wasted a three-plus minute power play in the second period after Josh Anderson bloodied Sean Kuraly under his eye with a pretty reckless high-sticking infraction. Top offensive guns like Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand had their chances during even strength, but it was on the power play where Bruce Cassidy was disappointed with their play.

 

That doesn’t even get into the major issues that David Pastrnak seems to be having hanging onto the puck, and the cross-ice passes that are continually getting deflected and cleared away by the active Columbus sticks on the penalty kill.

“I think where they could’ve done better tonight as a group, but they’re part of that group, is the power play. Clearly, that’s the place to get going offensively, and we didn’t execute well enough,” said Cassidy. 

“We got a goal off of [the power play], but really, it was not nearly to the level those guys have executed all year. Columbus has good sticks. You have to respect that.

“We’re forcing plays and not executing the plays we should, and they’re part of that group, so that’s where – if I’m going to lay blame on [Bergeron and Marchand] – it’s more in that [power play] area than 5v5.”

The good news in all of this for the Bruins? When they struggled on the power play last round vs. Toronto, it was temporary and in the next game, they returned to the form that made them a top-5 power play unit in the NHL pretty much all season. That should be the case again as the series moves to Columbus for the next couple of games, and the Bruins will need to their special teams to be in tip-top shape in order to wrest back control of this best-of-seven series. 

Talking points from Bruins' 3-2 double-OT loss to the Blue Jackets>>>

Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.