Alright, so when is it time to panic as a Bruins fan? The Boston Bruins stole game one because of a great game from Charlie Coyle, but in the past two games, solving the Blue Jackets’ goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky, has been nearly impossible. In a postseason where it seems like the underdog is winning almost every series, the Bruins might be cooked.
So far, every game in this series has been settled by one goal and it seems like nothing is getting past Bobrovsky, while lackluster play from the Bruins top line has not been helping. For the majority of the playoffs, the Bruins best two lines have been their third and fourth lines, which is not a recipe for success.
We have been begging for secondary scoring for years with the Bruins and now that they finally are getting it consistently, the Bruins top two lines can barely muster any offense.
Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand have zero points this series, and David Pastrnak has looked like a shell of himself ever since he had thumb surgery. So far, David Krejci has looked like his old self, but once again, he has little to no support on his wings; even Jake DeBrusk has been nearly invisible despite scoring a goal in the previous game. The Bruins need to take advantage of Krejci’s good play because it is no guarantee that he will be this good next year.
Another player who has looked good lately is Tuukka Rask, which is a rare sight in the playoffs. Unfortunately, the opposing goalie has looked like Carey Price on a nightly basis. So far, Rask has held a solid .928 save percentage through 10 playoff games, which is tied for second best in his career. Like Krejci, the Bruins need to take advantage of Rask’s solid play because there is no guarantee he will be as good next year either.
Also, what happened to the Bruins power play? In the first round, the Bruins were able to bury seven power play goals, and so far this series, the Bruins could only muster one goal on nine opportunities through three games. I also believe Mike Millbury may have a point when it comes to Marcus Johannson on the power play. He is not the greatest net front presence which makes me wonder why they put him there in place of DeBrusk, who has been successful in the past being the net front presence on the power play. It worked well last year in the playoffs and throughout the season this year, so why change it now? Obviously, I am not a coach, but if the Bruins want to come back in this series, the power play is going to have to be better than the mediocrity they have shown.
By no means is this an obituary for the 2018–2019 season, especially since the Bruins were also down 2–1 in their series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. But if the Bruins continue to rely on their bottom six forwards to do the majority of their scoring, then the season will be over before you know it.
The Bruins Are in Trouble
By Jonathan Hopkins
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May 2, 2019
About the Writer
Jonathan Hopkins, Sports Editor