by Bob Morello
Bruins Streak Ends…. The Bruins three-game win streak came to an end with Monday’s matinee, as the Tampa Bay Lightning came out flying, and the locals on the other hand, came out surprisingly slow. The result was a 4-3 loss, the first for the Bruins (3-1) this season, following wins over the Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, and the Buffalo Sabres to begin the season. It was refreshing to see Boston had the fight in them to overcome deficits of 3-0 and 4-1, as they displayed resiliency, and managed to bounce back each time, despite their slow start. Bruins goals came off the sticks of Casey Mittelstadt (2), Jordan Harris (1), and Morgan Geekie (2). Following the game, Coach Marco Sturm summed up the loss via, “We know from their starting six, we knew they wanted to get to work right away and we just were not ready. That’s why we made mistakes and that’s why it ended up with four (goals), pretty much, on an empty net.” His comments were right on, as Bruins goaltender Joonas Korpisalo (19 saves on the night) was basically left out on a limb, with little or no defensive protection on all four Lightning scores. The limited Bruins highlights were, the impressive streak of 14 penalty kills, while Boston earned four power plays, and had nothing to show for it, and the Bruins winning 41 of 60 face-offs (68%). On the downside, the Bruins had a night where they were handing out turnover after turnover, with each one providing the Bolts with a major chance to score. Coach Sturm decided to leave for the road trip immediately after the game on Monday, hoping that the time together will give his troops a chance to bond as a team. Sturm explained, “We put some thought into it because this is our only time, we don’t have anything in October, I think. November, not really, so that’s why we are leaving early.”
Defenseman Hampus Lindholm is on the trip, still recovering rom a lower body injury, but his playing time is questionable at this point. Sturm said he is looking forward to some off-ice bonding time with his players during the upcoming trip. The Bruins hit the road following the Lightning’s game on Monday, and will now enjoy a rare two-day layoff, between games, with their first stop taking place tonight (Thursday 10pm), as they take on the Vegas Golden Knights. On Saturday 9pm, the Colorado Avalanche will host Boston in the first game of a back-to-back set. On Sunday 7pm, the back-end game will end the three-game road trip, as they take on the Utah Mammoth. A return to TD Garden ice will start a three-game home stand which will feature visits from former Bruins Captain Brad Marchand and the Florida Panthers on Tuesday 7:30, followed by a Thursday 7pm contest with the Anaheim Ducks, and the Colorado Avalanche here for a 3pm matinee on Saturday.