The Bruins, staked to a two-goal lead late in the third period, saw their lead dissipate into a 2-2 tie just moments before the final horn that should have marked a key division win on the road. Instead it signaled a disappointing trip to overtime (but a point, nonetheless!) that yielded a 3-2 loss for the B's, likely their worst defeat of the first half of the season.
Immediately following the Max Pacioretty game-winner, pandemonium ensued. Depending on who you ask, Pacioretty either nudged Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara out of the way, or, he shoved him. Either way, it ruffled the big guy's feathers quite a bit.
Chara immediately went after Pacioretty. Not surprisingly, brash Canadiens rookie PK Subban decided to enter the fray. Steven Kampfer found his way in. Chara got mixed up with Hal Gill as linesmen try as best they could to hold back the big captain. It was ugly to say the least.
But, as ugly as it may have been, it was nowhere near as ugly as the Bruins' collapse. What's worse, is that the postgame scrum provided a sharp contrast for the ugly few minutes of Bruins hockey that preceded it.
Quite frankly, where was the fire in the last few minutes as the Bruins did everything they could to go from adding two points to their lead on the Habs, to dropping a point?
Chara, likely acting in frustration more than anything else, overreacted by going after Pacioretty, eventually taking on all comers, Subban included. But, shouldn't the thought of grabbing two points, against the team chasing you in the division, in their barn no less, be enough to get you going for a 60-minute effort?
Whether it's lackluster first periods, or meltdowns like Saturday night, the Bruins continue to put in abbreviated efforts. So, when the captain of the team decides that he's going to get physical and get in someone's face after the final horn marks another loss, it's tough not to get frustrated. At some point, someone needs to get mad. And they need to do so when it actually matters.
What it comes down to, is that the Bruins have to be tougher — both physically and mentally. Maybe, that's the root of Bruins' problems. When you stop skating, stop hitting and feel good enough just sitting on a two-goal lead against your hated rival, you're just asking for trouble. That's the physical letdown.
The physical letdown often leads to mental letdown, too. Being tough as a hockey team doesn't always mean someone like Shawn Thornton dropping the gloves to try and provide spark (something that he, and seemingly he only, has had to do far too many times this season). When you take bad penalties while trying to protect that lead, that's a direct correlation with poor focus.
Poor focus comes straight from a shortage of mental toughness. And the Bruins fell victim to a cheap goal on the ensuing power play? They sure did. But championship teams bear down in the face of adversity, and they go out and hold a one-goal lead.
You can juggle lines all you want. You can draw up the plays all you want, but at the end of the day, you have to take it to the ice and make things count when it matters most.
The Bruins have to be tougher, both physically and mentally. Once they start doing that, better 60-minute efforts should come. Until then, though, they're going to have to settle for showing how tough they are following the final horn.
Do the Bruins need to get tougher? Share your thoughts below.
