Bruins vs. Red Wings 2/9/20 RECAP: Lethargic B’s can’t overcome 200 year offsides review, poor penalty killing, and missed chances in 3-1 loss

First Period:

The Bruins definitely had the shot lead...but they played like a team that was abundantly aware that it’d played not 21 hours before, and it looked like it.

That said, the Red Wings didn’t exactly press the advantage either so....yeah. Quite a period to forget.

Second Period:

The first goal of the game came fairly early in the 2nd period as Brendan Perlini got into the offensive zone and placed a perfect shot to get past Tuukka Rask, and put the Wings up 1-0.

Prooooooobably one Rask wants back. That was not an unsaveable shot.

Then, the Bruins got one back!...Or so they thought. The Bruins first line got a great Pastrnak pass through the Red Wings defense for Brad Marchand to tip home and tie the game... but then...came the review.

The Offsides review that took about ten minutes of real time to figure out, namely for a play that happened almost 30 seconds after the play ended in a goal, and it gave you plenty of time to curse just about everything about this rule, and think about things that are uncomfortable, like life, the broader implications of death, whether or not your loved ones talk shit about you behind your back, the ever sliding decline of civiliza-oh ok it’s called back.

This was just nonsense. Nothing else of note necessarily happened, and the Bruins took their unhappiness to the locker room.

Third Period:

Also the Boston Bruins did get back onto the board, as David Pastrnak and Torey Krug crashed the net to get past Jonathan Bernier in a way that couldn’t get called back! 1-1 everybody!

Great stuff for Krug. David Pastrnak has 40 assists now, by the by.

Of course, things couldn’t be great forever, as Jake DeBrusk took a tripping penalty that put the Wings on the power play, and a mistimed check that ultimately meant Detroit had all the ice in the world, and Andreas Athanasiou on the doorstep. 2-1 Wings.

Not much to say here other than “don’t get greedy when penalty killing, please.”

And then, as we’ve seen throughout the year in losing efforts, the Boston Bruins tried their damnedest to claw their way back into this game, and just could not summon a quality scoring chance. And those who did...

Couldn’t capitalize.

The Bruins let Rask head to the bench late, they couldn’t get a decent shot off...and then Detroit got the empty netter. 3-1 Wings was your final score.

What a miserable game.

Game Notes:

• Not a great night to be Tuukka Rask, as this is his first sub-.900% SV% night in a good long while. Granted, the team in front of him seemed to be doing everything in their power to make his life difficult by somehow doing everything right but as low-effort and as poorly without looking miserable as possible.
• Karson Kuhlman played less than 12 minutes tonight. he wasn’t much of a factor tonight. Not far behind him was Danton Heinen who played only a hair over 12, but had three shots. Not a great night for the winger depth.
• The really sick thing about this game is that by the numbers, Boston did pretty much everything right. They controlled play for much of the game, they got shot after shot after shot on Jonathan Bernier, and they got plenty of great chances. They even got in front of Bernier a couple of times! Something that’s been a real issue on offense for the team as a whole! It’s just that they played so sloppily in parts that when the mistakes came, they cost the B’s dearly. Just a terrible, no-good game against the worst team in the league.
• Offsides review should have a hard 10-second time limit no I’m not taking questions at this time. If you were so goddamn concerned about it you should demand to have it reviewed the second it happens instead of trying to let your suck-ass backcheck off the hook for giving up a goal.
• I’m just gonna say it: the fourth line is definitely a fourth line now. Noel Acciari or at least a Noel Acciari-type player is sorely missed on that line and you can see it in how they attack the puck these days. They just look reckless and sloppy in their own lately and it’s very disappointing.
• The first line did all they could, but their trademark neurosis such as being unselfish to the point of mania and puck protection that ultimately goes nowhere doomed quite a few of their offensive zone shifts.
• Gonna have to buck up, get over this one, and get ready for the next couple of weeks; The B’s play two back to backs on consecutive weekends, including a rematch against the Wings on Saturday.
• Referees have been goofy as hell lately and the league needs to step up. Throughout the league.
• Vaakanainen should play on Wednesday. That is all.

The Bruins take a couple days to come home, have a practice and get ready to face Montreal on Wednesday. Puck drop is 7:30 EST. If you don’t like NBC, I’m afraid you’re gonna have to wait until Saturday.

Anyhow, we’ll see you there.