by Bob Morello
Bruins Lacking Consistency
There’s a lot missing in the current play of the Boston Bruins, which is something of concern when the schedule has them playing a host of games in just a few days. If you hang your hat on the outcome of the first three games of the season – all wins, your hopes are high, but to follow that with a six-game losing streak, can certainly take the wind out of your sails. The answer is obvious, the Bruins have two very different teams that show up on any given night. Case in point, their ability to beat the Colorado Avalanche last week, handing the Avalanche their first loss in regulation, and then reverting to the one we are seeing lately, which is the one that gets hit with far too many penalties – and now a team who had recently boasted a tight penalty-killing unit, into one that fails miserably. A prime example of lack of effectiveness was evident in their recent disaster on Monday, where they allowed their division rival Ottawa Senators to score four goals on five power play chances. The lack of discipline has been a constant, making the Bruins one of the most penalized teams in the NHL. Giving their opposition multiple chances per game to put their power play units into the game, eventually has proved to be costly. The loss of defensemen Hampus Lindholm to the Injured Reserve list, and the extensive injury to Jordan Harris, could be a partial reason, but not to the extent shown lately by the blue line corps. Head coach Marco Sturm has resorted to constant line changes, both with his forwards and defenseman, as he seeks the possible adjustment that could put the team into working in a more effective style. That attempt to date, has not proved to be the answer, as Sturm’s frustration with fact that his troops are not following his game plan is surfacing quickly. The urgency is compounded with this week’s schedule with has the locals playing four games in six days, not leaving much time for practice, and no time to work out the issues.
Tonight (Thursday, 7pm) the Bruins will host the Buffalo Sabres on TD Garden ice, followed by a Saturday 1pm matinee with the Carolina Hurricanes. Boston will then head back on the road for a one-and-done with the New York Islanders on Monday at 7pm, before returning home to take on the Ottawa Senators (Thursday 7pm), with a chance to gain some revenge for the 7-2 thrashing they were handed in last week’s confrontation.