The Boston Bruins simply did not show up to play in Games 5 and 6 against the Toronto Maple Leafs and now find themselves in a situation that is eerily similar to last season.
How else do you explain just three shots on goal in the first periods of the two games combined? Sure, by the time the later stages of those back-to-back 2-1 losses rolled around, Boston was much more in the thick of things. But those bursts of energy proved to be not nearly enough and now the first-round best-of-7 Stanley Cup Playoff series is tied at three games apiece.
Oh boy, how fun is this upcoming Game 7 situation going to be for Bruins fans? Their beloved team, as every NHL fan knows, also had a 3-1 advantage in the first round one year ago before losing the next three games and the series to the Florida Panthers in a historic collapse.
That oft-heard refrain of “we’ll get it done next year” after being eliminated in 2022-23 was certainly an applicable sentiment for this go-round, despite the loss of stars Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci to retirement in the offseason. And sure enough, with newly named captain Brad Marchand leading the team emotionally, the Bruins rose to the challenge and finished a highly successful regular season in which they just missed out on winning the Atlantic Division.
Related: 3 Bruins Takeaways From Disappointing Game 5
Aside from the fact that there was no way the Bruins were going to match 2022-23’s best regular-season record in NHL history (65-12-5), the biggest difference this regular season was that every so often for stretches of a few games in a row, the Bruins (47-20-15, 109 points) would suddenly look supremely flat. And, sure enough, that’s still a problem. After looking great against Toronto in the first four games, the lackadaisical play took hold.
Something also must be said about the extraordinary teamwork being put in by the Maple Leafs, who haven’t beaten the Bruins in a playoff series since 1959. When the series started, Toronto was out to hit any chance it got. Now, no matter from what position — whether it’s guys like defensemen Timothy Liljegren and Morgan Rielly or forwards Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi — the Maple Leafs are all playing highly disciplined and energetic team defense and are not giving an inch. They’ve been hungrier than the Bruins in puck battles and have been clogging the Bruins’ passing lanes. Rarely was Boston able to string a series of passes together, whether they were trying to break out or skate it into the offensive zone. What’s more, whenever the Bruins made a successful series of passes heading across the Toronto blue line, there were blue shirts quickly in their face to cause a disruption. The Maple Leafs’ defensive job was especially effective on Bruins’ big scorers David Pastrnak and Marchand.
As a matter of fact, head coach Jim Montgomery said, “Pasta needs to step up,” in his Game 6 postgame comments.
Dump Puck, Lose Puck, See Toronto Break Out, Rinse, Repeat
The following scenario was repeated often in the last two games: Boston gets trapped in its own zone, giving the Maple Leafs extended possession. Then the Bruins finally work it out but have no real attack options so they dump and chase. But the chase is too slow and Toronto gets on the move quickly.
And yes, for long stretches of the two games, Toronto was the zippier, more effective offensive team, too. Boston’s defense held strong, for sure, with more excellent work being put in by goaltender Jeremy Swayman and defenseman Brandon Carlo, among others, but whenever the Bruins’ offense did nudge in for scoring chances, Toronto goalie Joseph Woll (49 saves in the two games) was there working his new-found magic.
Something Montgomery said in a Sportsnet.com article is an indication that Boston may have a better mindset going into Saturday’s Game 7. When asked if thoughts of the debacle against Florida are on the Bruins’ minds, he was quite clear: “We’re not living in the past. We’re not living in the future. We’re living in the present. Right now, we’re not happy with our game. We gotta get ready for Game 7 starting (Friday).”
Living in the present doesn’t mean that there is no pressure, however. When Montgomery, Marchand and the rest of the Bruins hit the ice Saturday, the heavy-duty pressure will be dialed all the way up.