The third-period Bruins almost lived up to their reputation again, but a few bad turnovers and a few worse calls from the officials did them in as the Lightning took Game 2 4-2.
Not only did the Bruins give up 10 consecutive shots to start the game, but most of those chances had some real quality to them.
"We were missing everything," head coach Bruce Cassidy told NBC in between periods. "We didn't have it."
Tuukka Rask kept it scoreless until Yanni Gourde broke through on the power play at 11:47. The Bruins didn't get their first shot on goal until Patrice Bergeron fired off a wrister 14 minutes in.
Progress?
The Bruins clapped back with eight straight shots of their own. Momentum started to build off a 5-on-3 opportunity, then Charlie McAvoy's first career playoff goal arrived with 1:30 left in the period for the equalizer:
Postseason goal No. 1 for @CMcAvoy44 is in the books.#NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/kpdlyrSrc5
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) May 1, 2018Brayden Point's much anticipated wheels were on display tonight. He blew by and fed it to Tyler Johnson, who caught Rask at a tough angle to steal back a 2-1 lead.
Go on ahead, Johnny!!#TBLvsBOS | #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/Ni8MSvGl3t
— #GoBolts (@TBLightning) May 1, 2018That was the only goal in the second, and the Bruins didn't manage a shot on net for the last nine minutes of the period. The lack of puck possession was palpable. So was Tampa Bay's 57-43 percent edge in faceoffs, but you can blame that on the officials suddenly having a problem with Patrice Bergeron at your own discretion.
Though turning points in the third are usually a good sign for this Bruins team, an -- I'll say it -- undeserved penalty was the opposite. David Pastrnak got four minutes because Victor Hedman hit himself in the face with his own stick.
Victor Hedman high sticks himself. Cool. pic.twitter.com/EaBN5CYPTG
— #2 WINGELS FAN (@bruinshockeynow) May 1, 2018That paved the way for Kucherov's first shot of the game with 9:35 left to play. The Bruins found some time at the other side of the ice for a while there, but Point capitalized on a Brad Marchand turnover at the blue line and sent it to Ondrej Palat for the 3-1 lead.
Torey Krug somehow made it a one-goal game with 4:02 left to play with a shot from the boards that should concern Andrei Vasilevskiy. Maybe that would've been the turning point the Bruins have grown accustomed to some other night. There were too many turnovers, questionable calls, puck battles lost, and Rasks trying to get the referees' attention tonight.
A Point empty-netter sealed the 1-1 series tie for the Lightning.
