The Bruins dropped their second straight game, losing to the
Winnipeg Jets 3-1. Boston opened the game putting forth a strong effort, taking
a 1-0 lead to the third period Tuesday night. Brad Marchand continued his
terrorizing of Winnipeg, scoring his third goal of the season against them.
The black and gold surrendered three third period tallies
and showed little offensive improvement from Sunday’s one goal output. Old
friend Blake Wheeler banged home two goals in the third and has been a major
reason why the Jets are trending upward.
Boston once again blew another third period lead. They have
lost three of their last five contests and have only mustered a measly two
goals in two games.
The struggle continues against the East’s better clubs. The
Bruins have been beaten in two straight meetings with Pittsburgh and now have added
a bad loss to the Jets.
One cannot help but worry about the direction the Bruins are
heading in. The extended periods of time in which Boston showcases an inability
to find the back of the net is unsettling. Injuries and fatigue aside, Bruins
goal scorers need to find themselves ASAP.
In the coming week, Boston will play a handful of games that
all of which will surely have a major impact on the Northeast Division
standings.
The Bruins will lock horns with the Sens, Habs, and a
home-and-home two game set with the Leafs. The Habs are ahead of Boston by two
points, the Sens trail them by three, and the Leafs by nine. Each team is in
the thick of the playoff race and winning these games will be no small task.
David Krejci is expected back soon, as he is listed day to
day. Like Chris Kelly going down to a broken tibia wasn’t bad enough, feisty
blue liner Adam McQuaid may be out for upwards of a month. The twenty-six year
old defensemen suffered a shoulder strain after being stapled by Eric Tangradi
of Winnipeg. The injury will force Aaron Johnson back into the lineup.
Claude Julien has been forced to shuffle his lines recently,
but getting his boys to play with the chemistry and confidence needed to
succeed will be something to pay close attention to.
The NHL trading deadline is rapidly approaching. Boston,
being in need of an offensive and defensive acquisition, should find itself wheeling
and dealing in coming days.
With the Penguins riding a ten game winning streak, Boston
cannot afford to lose any more ground. They currently have a five-point lead on
them. Fortunately for the B’s, they have three games in hand.
Buckle up and enjoy the ride. The stretch Boston is about to
embark on will be nothing short of pulse pounding.
No comments:
Post a Comment