Morning Skate: Inconsistent

Well folks, it is Wednesday, and we’ve got ourselves an extra off day!

It’s a bit of a luxury to have two consecutive days off (excluding practice, I guess) in the middle of a playoff series, but it’s one that should be a boost for the Bruins.

Extra rest may mean Oliver Wahlstrom is closer to ready for the Islanders, but it also means Kevan Miller and Craig Smith are (hopefully) closer to ready for the Bruins.

Can’t imagine Tuukka Rask is upset about having extra time between games either!

The theme of today’s post is INCONSISTENCY, and it reared its head in a number of different ways in Game 2.

The officiating was wildly inconsistent: crosschecks that weren’t were, crosschecks that were weren’t, dives, punches, etc. Good stuff.

The other inconsistency, which was more directly involved in the outcome, was the play of the Bruins themselves.

The second period in particular was probably one of the worst periods the Bruins have played in more than a month.

That period saw the Bruins allow 5 5v5 high-danger chances to just one for themselves. Their xGF% was a shocking 23.94%. It didn’t go well, I guess is the point I’m trying to make.

It was made more frustrating by what had been a pretty good first period.

Still, as bad as the second period was, it still ended up being a one-goal game. I guess that’s hockey, right?

Today’s highlight

We could use some of this in Game 3, eh?

I bring it up because Mitch Marner is on the hot seat again in Toronto after another goal o-fer in the playoffs.

The Bruins (rightly) get a ton of crap for the 2015 Draft, but you can’t imagine the Leafs are loving paying $11 million to a guy who has two goals in his last nine playoff games.

Today’s discussion topic

I thought Mike Reilly’s skating was particularly impressive in Game 2. Your thoughts on him thus far in the playoffs?