Bruins Notes: Joe Sacco Doesn't Hold Back After Lopsided Loss
'We're trying to make the cute play'
The Boston Bruins searched for a clean slate to kick off their road trip but fell (very) short to begin their five-game road trip against the Las Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night — extending the team’s losing streak to four games.
Boston didn’t score until the third period after Las Vegas had already tallied five. It prevented the team from enduring a shutout defeat, however, it couldn’t clean up the ongoing inability to create scoring chances throughout their 5-1 loss. The
Bruins tallied 19 shots on goal and just one power-play opportunity, creating a discrepancy hole they couldn’t dig themselves out of.
It’s an issue the team has talked about recently, but locker room conversations haven’t been enough to overcome opponents amid the losing skid.
“It’s something that we talk about,” Bruins head coach Joe Sacco said, as seen on NESN. “Obviously we over-pass and that’s something that has to be fixed, we talk about. You know, playing off the shot, more shot volume. We did it for a while, we had success, but now we’re trying to make the cute play, the fancy play all the time. It doesn’t work in this league. That’s too good of a team. They defend the middle of the ice too well.”
The Bruins have been outscored, 20-8, in their last four games, and the common trend that dropped the team to 30-31-9 in Sin City has been scoring opportunities. Boston competed defensively early, holding the Golden Knights scoreless through the first period. But that fell apart once Las Vegas found its rhythm and recorded back-to-back multi-goal periods to close out the Bruins with ease.
“That’s a testament to our team and it’s our job to combat whatever they bring to us, and I thought we did a good job of that,” Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman said, as seen on NESN. “We just didn’t get the results.”
Morgan Geekie’s 24th goal of the season got Boston on the board at 17:49 in the third period, and the 26-year-old feels the pressure of the team’s ongoing slump.
“I think for sure it’s something that weighs on you,” Geekie said, as seen on NESN. “… I wouldn’t say that’s what did us in tonight by any means, but it’s frustrating for sure.”
The Bruins have dropped seven of their last 10 games and throughout that stretch, they’ve scored over three goals just once — in their 4-0 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 8.
Here are more notes from Thursday night’s Bruins-Golden Knights game:
— Swayman allowed five goals on 32 shots from the Golden Knights, which marked the third consecutive game in which he’s surrendered four-plus goals. The 26-year-old has gone 0-3-0 over his last three starts, notching an .847 save percentage.
— Golden Knights forward Pavel Dorofeyev stole the show on Thursday night, netting three goals against the Bruins to secure his second career hat trick. The 24-year-old has scored six goals throughout his past six games for Las Vegas.
— David Pastrnak assisted on Geekie’s third-period goal, which secured the 28-year-old’s third consecutive season with 50-plus assists. He joins Ray Bourque (11), Phil Esposito (6), Bobby Orr (5), Johnny Bucyk (3), Brad Marchand (3), Marc Savard (3), Jean Ratelle (3) and Fred Standfield (3) as the only other three players in Bruins history to reach that feat.
— Boston has gone three straight games being held to less than 20 shots for the first time in franchise history, dating back to when the Bruins only totaled 12 in Saturday night’s 6-2 loss to the Lightning.
— The Bruins will continue their road trip by facing off against the San Jose Sharks on Friday night. Puck drop from SAP Center is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET, and that game will be aired on ESPN+. Boston will return to the
NESN airwaves for Sunday night’s game — set for 10:30 p.m. — against the Los Angeles Kings.
