BOSTON — The Boston Bruins began final season with six straight wins, going 11-1-1 of their first 13 video games.
The season earlier than, the Bruins opened with 10 wins of their first 11 video games and 17 of their first 19.
So the very fact Boston sits at 3-4-1 following a 5-2 dwelling loss to the Dallas Stars on Thursday, its seven factors tied with the Buffalo Sabres for sixth within the Atlantic Division, is unsettling and uncomfortable for gamers used to quick begins and an assured spot within the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“We don’t like these outcomes. We’re acknowledging that,” Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy mentioned.
It’s not who they’re and what they’ve been.
“This can be a bit of recent territory for us to have this occurring early within the yr after these final couple years the place we’re normally simply gangbusters,” McAvoy mentioned. “I feel a bit of little bit of our perspective is, it hasn’t gained us something being the perfect group in October.
“We’re fantastic. We’re not going to panic. It’s sport eight. Hopefully we’ve obtained plenty of video games left and we’ll hold getting higher.”
So although it’s too early to fret a couple of postseason spot that’s nonetheless way more probably than not, Boston has many, many elements of its sport that want correcting, particularly forward of a go to from the rival Toronto Maple Leafs at TD Backyard on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; NHLN, NESN, SNP, SNO, CBC).
“It’s of our personal doing, which is an efficient factor, I suppose, as a result of we will rectify it,” captain Brad Marchand mentioned. “We’ve obtained to get again to taking part in the best means for 60 minutes and doing the best issues on a regular basis and understanding that success is tough and we have to play a tough sport to win. That’s how we’ve at all times gained. We simply have to get again to that.”
Marchand pointed on the market had been important quantities of turnover up to now couple of seasons, that necessary gamers had missed stretches of coaching camp — together with middle Elias Lindholm, goalie Jeremy Swayman and himself — and that it’s early.
And but, it’s clear nobody on the Bruins finds what’s occurred acceptable.
“Loads of the errors that we’re making and the explanations that we really feel we’re shedding is due to our lack of respect for the sport and consistency in particulars,” Marchand mentioned. “These are issues you may repair. When you will have an absence of effort and guys simply not caring, that’s a complete completely different problem and that’s not what we now have.”
It’s, nevertheless, simple to level to the problems Boston has been having: too many penalties, too many turnovers. It’s a situation that has repeated itself all through the primary eight video games of the season.
On Thursday, in opposition to the Stars, the Bruins took three penalties within the second interval. Every energy play resulted in a aim for Dallas, a group that had come into the sport having transformed twice in seven video games this season. Total, Boston took 5 penalties within the sport, together with two by Marchand and two by ahead David Pastrnak.
There have been moments when the Bruins appeared good, temporary glimpses of what they imagine they are often and are.
However they got here too late. They have been too brief.
“Our attitudes have to go in a greater, more healthy route, as in attempting to regulate what you may management,” coach Jim Montgomery mentioned. “Which is attempting to excel at your function. Our attitudes are usually not within the second. They’re on outcomes.
“And when your perspective is on outcomes, you are inclined to take too many penalties since you get pissed off shortly and also you have a tendency to show over the puck lots since you don’t need to work for the offense. You need outcomes immediately. And that perspective of not prepared to work for what we need to get and get to our group sport is inflicting some struggles proper now.”
Boston leads the NHL in penalties taken, with 44 minors and 4 main penalties for 48 complete penalties. The subsequent closest group is the San Jose Sharks, with 42 complete penalties. It means the Bruins are, as McAvoy mentioned, “taxing our penalty kill means an excessive amount of.”
Couple that with an offense that isn’t precisely clicking, and it yields losses.
Montgomery pointed to Boston’s latest highway journey by way of Colorado, Utah and Nashville. The Bruins defeated the Avalanche 5-3 however adopted that with a lackluster 2-1 time beyond regulation loss to Utah and a 4-0 defeate to the Predators, Nashville’s first win of the season.
“In the event you’re not targeted on habits and particulars, you’re going to get pissed off,” Montgomery mentioned, “and the margins of error aren’t very large on this league and we’re on the fallacious aspect proper now. I feel our attitudes are driving it.”
They are going to get again to the drafting board on Friday at observe, and can hope they’ve a greater exhibiting in opposition to the Maple Leafs in a sport that they’re positive to be up for. They are going to hope they’ll iron out the problems — and shortly.
As a result of the Bruins don’t really feel like they’re distant. There are appears. There are moments. There’s the group, beneath, that they know they are often.
“This can be a laborious league,” Marchand mentioned. “It’s going to humble you fairly fast. If any group thinks that they’re simply going to roll by way of, they’ve obtained one other assume coming. It’s an incredible alternative for us to reap the benefits of it and be higher, and revel in that strategy of working and simplifying.
“We’ll be all proper.”