Bs Choke Away 3-0 Lead, Fall To D.C. In OT
After failing to grab hold of first place Sunday night (and turning Max Pacioretty into a Mean Girl), the Bs headed for D.C. to take on the Adam Oates-led, are-they-or-aren’t-they-resurging Capitals, looking to get back on the winning track. And things looked good for the first 25 minutes as the Bs surged out to a 3-0 lead on goals from Brad Marchand, Zdeno Chara, and Dougie Hamilton.
But the next 36 minutes just might have spearheaded the cause for the latest memorial in our nation’s capital—IN HONOR OF THE FALLEN THREE GOAL LEADS. Because the Bs managed to turn what should have been a nice two road points into what feels like a sympathy point by pissing away the lead through missed passes, flat feet, a shitty bounce or two, and lack of a timely save. Eric Fehr then put a bow on it 37 seconds into OT when he split Hamilton and Seidenberg like a piece of cheap firewood before roofing one past Tuukka.
Though it was only the team’s first two-game losing streak of the season, the signs have been there for the last couple of weeks. A half-assed game here. Tuukka bailing them out there. Christ, the team and coach saying every day, “we’re not playing our best”. So when they run in into the top team in the East and another just finding its legs, it’s not a surprise the Bs weren’t able to mask their little mistakes for another two games. Frankly, they’ve been getting away with it too long.
When you’re winning, it’s easy to get away with it. But when you drop a couple in a row, including a 3-0 lead, it’s time to get back to basics and clean that shit up. Fortunately, the Bruins know how to do this as good as anyone. It’s just a matter of going out and doing it before it snowballs into Thursday when the Leafs come to town.
A few more buds for your bowl…
*Marchand continued his torrid pace by netting his 12th goal on just his 39th shot, this time on the rare short-handed penalty shot. He’s tied with seven others for fourth overall. His four GWGs are also good for fourth. Smart move locking him up when they did.
*Milan Lucic had a good night, notching a helper on Chara’s goal and helping to set up Hamilton’s PP tally. The PPG was noteworthy because it happened 15 seconds in and the fact that all five guys had a hand in it. But with a chance to recapture the lead on a late PP, the Bs came up empty to finish 1 for 2 on the night. The penalty killers killed off all four Caps power plays.
*The third line (Bourque-Kelly-Peverley) was a combined -7.
*Shawn Thornton dropped long-time adversary John Erskine with a straight right in their bout two seconds after Chara gave the Bs a 2-0 lead. Thornton told Naoko between periods that “Mr. Erskine” asked him to go so he did because Erskine had given him the same ’courtesy’ in the past.
*I want to send best wishes along to my pal Scotty Fitzgerald, the Bs Assistant Director of Amateur Scouting. Fitzy was injured in a car accident driving home after the game with his son on Sunday night when another vehicle slammed into his after crossing the marked lane. Please keep him and his family in your thoughts.
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