After back-to-back hard fought games against the Washington Capitals, the Bruins welcomed the New Jersey Devils to TD Garden and didn’t match the intensity from their prior two contests.
The Bruins were shut out for the second time this season, losing 1-0 to the Devils on a Kyle Palmieri goal with 4:37 left in the third.
Here are three key takeaways from the Bruins' third loss to the Devils in four meetings this season.
1. Bruins mix up forward lines in search of offense
While the Bruins continue to play well defensively despite multiple injuries on the back end, their inability to find consistent scoring depth is hindering them.
Aside from Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak, no other trio has emerged as a constant, reliable option for the Bruins and it’s becoming problematic.
David Krejci still hasn’t been able to find enough chemistry with a set of wingers to play with on the second line — Nick Ritchie produces but Jake DeBrusk has been invisible for a full calendar year.
Charlie Coyle, Craig Smith and Trent Frederic have their moments together on the third line but certainly aren’t putting much fear into opponents offensively.
Sean Kuraly, who is usually a dependable fourth line center, has been a healthy scratch, resulting in a make-shift fourth line of Jack Studnicka, Anders Bjork and Chris Wagner.
After two scoreless periods against New Jersey, Bruce Cassidy decided to move around some of his wingers, putting Bjork up with Krejci and DeBrusk and moving Ritchie to the fourth line with Studnicka and Wagner.
Unfortunately, results didn’t follow as the Bruins were shut out 1-0.
Even if Cassidy’s line changes sparked some third period offensive chances, it’s clear there is a lack of long-term chemistry on the team’s bottom three lines — which is why the Bruins may try and move on from a few young forwards at the trade deadline in an effort to acquire some more established scoring.
2 . Power-play struggles continue
While the Bruins are usually one of the stronger teams in the league on the power play, the team has struggled mightily of late.
Over their last six games, the Bruins are 0-for-12 on the man advantage and their inability to capitalize on special teams proved costly in defeat to the Devils.
With the game scoreless in the third period, the Bruins went 0-for-2 on the power play, the best chance coming off the stick of a struggling Jake DeBrusk.
It makes sense that the Bruins are enamored with Matt Grzelcyk as their quarterback on the top power-play unit since his style is most similar to Torey Krug’s. However, it really should be Charlie McAvoy’s job — how many teams have a Norris-caliber defenseman on their roster but not on their top power play?
Not many -- in fact, only the Bruins. They may want to take a look at that.
3. Emotional hangover from two-game set with Capitals
After exchanging wins during an emotional, hard-hitting, two-game set with the Capitals, the Bruins and Devils engaged in a rather boring, uneventful contest.
This is no coincidence, as every game between the Bruins and Devils this season has been low-scoring and chaos-free.
Sure, Miles Wood went hard to the net in the first game of the season and had to answer to Kevan Miller for it, but both teams play a responsible, defensive style of hockey that doesn’t lead to the most exciting games.
Through their first four meetings, the Bruins and Devils have combined for just 14 goals (3.5 per game), with New Jersey winning three times.
Whether it’s a matter of the Bruins playing down to their competition or the Devils playing up to their competition or a combination of the two, continuing to lose valuable points in the standings to New Jersey is unacceptable.