BOSTON — Whatever happens next will define the 2023-24 Boston Bruins.
When and how the Bruins pull out of this rough patch will define perception about Jim Montgomery’s coaching, Brad Marchand’s leadership and just what this team is actually capable of.
It will determine whether or not Don Sweeney tries to creatively add at the deadline and could even influence whether he’d make a drastic move like trading Jake DeBrusk.
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Saturday’s 5-4 overtime loss was their fourth straight and fifth out of six games coming out of the All-Star break. It’s too early to panic, but a concern is warranted.
The Bruins blasted into the All-Star game with the NHL’s best record after wins in seven of eight games. They’ve stumbled out of the break like a different hockey team, leaving their edge in St. Barts or wherever else they spent the week off. They fell to fourth after Saturday and would be fifth if the Rangers win on Sunday.
For 58 minutes, Saturday’s game looked like a step toward reversing the Bruins’ slide and moving things in a good direction. James van Riemsdyk had sparked a resurgent third line and Linus Ullmark made some big saves early. Even call-up Anthony Richard’s first goal as a Bruin is the sort of thing that gives a team a boost.
But they couldn’t finish. Pavel Zacha took an ill-advised offensive zone holding penalty when he wrestled down Mikey Anderson with 3:35 left. The play forced the Bruins to kill 6-on-4 when the Kings pulled the goalie.
Killing penalties in any scenario has been a concern in recent games and this time was no different. The Bruins nearly escaped but Anze Kopitar scored as the door was opening to free Zacha with 1:35 left.
Even a power play in overtime worked against them. Not only did Boston not score, but Brandt Clarke was sprung just in time for Phillip Danault to feed him for the game-winning breakaway.
“We added to our problems today. We had breakdowns that shouldn’t be happening within our structure and just game management. You have to close out a game. We’re up twice in the third period and we don’t close it out. And in the overtime, our power play has to put it away,” Montgomery said. “You need to overcome the adversity. They tie it 3-3. We go ahead 4-3. Now you’ve got to close it out. You can’t take an offensive zone penalty when you’re protecting the lead. Can’t do it. You’ve got to get a penalty kill there.
“It’s not good enough right now,” he added. “Tonight, that’s a game we should win. Our execution is not where it should be.”
Special teams and goaltending had carried the Bruins through the first months of the season. But the penalty kill is floundering and the power play isn’t as sharp. Neither of the Bruins goalies is playing at the level that won Linus Ullmark the Vezina Trophy last year and earned Jeremy Swayman a spot in the All-Star game this year.
As a team, what looked like a hiccup has turned into a full-blown slump. How they get out of it and how long it takes will be telling. But the Bruins need to match have the same urgency to get back to playing like an elite team that the Kings came with to protect their playoff position.
“They’re a desperate team. They’re fighting for their playoff lives. We’re going to get a lot of that now. Our desperation has not, since the break, matched our opponents consistently,” Montgomery said. “That’s the way you come out of it. You come out of it together. Whether it’s special teams or the goaltender comes out and plays and incredible game for you. Or your power play goes three for four. That’s how you come out of it. Together.”
Like everything else with the 2023-24 Bruins, this slump comes against the backdrop of last year’s playoff collapse. If they continued their pre-break success, people would have worried about this year being like last year when the regular-season dominant Bruins crumbled when adversity struck for the first time in the postseason.
But facing adversity now is only valuable if it’s something they learn from. Maybe going on the road together next week will help. Maybe facing an elite team like Dallas on Monday will spur the Bruins back in the right direction.
James van Riemsdyk thinks so.
“Responding the right way, sticking with the process and staying confident in what we’re been doing. We’re still in a great place standingswise. We want to keep working at the process and be peaking as the year keeps going on,” he said. “Obviously, some things that didn’t go our way out there tonight. I think we’re right on the cusp of turning it the other way.”
Follow MassLive sports columnist Matt Vautour on Twitter at @MattVautour424.
