After allowing just one power-play goal on 39 opportunities, the Boston Bruins conceded two to the Detroit Red Wings, ultimately falling 5-4 in their first regulation loss of the season.
When thinking about why the Boston Bruins are exceeding expectations this season, one could point at multiple ‘surprise’ reasons: Matt Poitras leading a youth charge, James van Riemsdyk producing at the net front as a bargain free agent find, etc.
However, arguably the two most important reasons are anything but surprising, carrying over from last year’s 65-win team: Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman are yet again the top goaltending tandem in the NHL, and the penalty kill has been the best in the league as well, allowing just one goal on 39 opportunities (97.4%) entering Saturday.
That percentage took a dip in Boston’s 5-4 loss to the Detroit Red Wings, with the Bruins allowing two power-play goals in their first regulation loss of the season. It was a busy night for the penalty kill, which successfully fended off the other six Detroit power-play attempts.
“We’re one of the better teams in this league, and we [have] to show it and we [have] to prove it every night,” Ullmark told reporters in Detroit after the game. “And tonight was one of those old time hockey games, and unfortunately, we didn’t have the results with us.”
It didn’t help that the game devolved into penalty chaos towards the end, with Boston having to kill a 5-on-3 power play after penalties against David Pastrnak and Charlie Coyle were called 16 seconds apart late in the third, rather than being able to work for a tying goal.
The Bruins took 12 penalties total on the night, and six in the final 1:28 of regulation alone, ranging from a Hampus Lindholm game misconduct to a bench minor for abuse of officials. Some calls were more questionable than others, particularly earlier in the game, but after going through the first 10 games of the season unfazed by frequent trips to the box – their 39 power play attempts allowed entering Saturday ranked sixth-highest in the NHL – it finally bit them against the Red Wings.
“You play a team with an excellent power play like Detroit, you can’t take– I don’t know if we were short-handed seven or eight times, I don’t know what it was, but that’s too many,” Montgomery said.
On the first power-play goal, Detroit forward Lucas Raymond was left all alone in the left circle, receiving a cross-ice feed from David Perron and cutting the deficit to 2-1 at 16:20 of the first period. Lindholm was the only guy back for Boston, as Charlie Coyle and Ian Mitchell crept higher up in the zone with Brad Marchand.
The second Red Wings power-play goal was a result of good puck movement around the zone before Detroit defenseman Jake Walman unleashed a rocket from the right circle to tie the game 2-2 at 9:59 of the second period.
“They worked hard tonight,” Lindholm said. “They wanted that win, and I think we had stretches where I think we weren’t, maybe, playing our best hockey, but I think we fought back. … We were still in this game until the end, even though those penalties there. So I think that shows a lot of character, but it’s a tough line between winning and losing in this league.”
The Bruins’ penalty kill was never going to be perfect the rest of the season, especially not with defensive mainstay Derek Forbort (undisclosed) out of the lineup, but conceding two in the same night allowed Detroit to get back into the game, where they went on to score three even-strength goals in the third period after Boston took a 3-2 lead at 13:41 of the second period.
“I thought our defensemen played well,” Montgomery said. “I mean, when you’re missing the defensemen that we’re missing, it would have an impact in our poise to break pucks out, and our poise to transition pucks, defend our own net.”
On a night where one of the Bruins’ two strongest pillars looked vulnerable, it’s not a mystery why they lost their first game in regulation this season.