Well, that was ugly. With the Bruins down arguably their top four defensemen, things went pretty much how you’d expect in an 8-1 loss to the Capitals.
Here are three key takeaways:
1. They never had a chance with this defense
There shouldn’t really be such a thing as a “scheduled loss,” but if ever there was one, this was it. Down arguably their top four defensemen and on the second night of a back-to-back, it would’ve taken a borderline miracle for the Bruins to get a point Sunday night against the division-leading, rested, and relatively healthy Capitals.
Brandon Carlo is still week-to-week. Charlie McAvoy is getting close to returning, but the Bruins weren’t going to rush him back. Matt Grzelcyk is considered day-to-day after suffering an upper-body injury Saturday. And Kevan Miller had a scheduled night off as the Bruins load manage his surgically repaired knee.
That left the Bruins with pairings of Jeremy Lauzon-Jack Ahcan, Jarred Tinordi-Connor Clifton, and Jakub Zboril-Steven Kampfer. I mean, that’s just not an NHL defense. That’s three third pairings at best, with Lauzon -- when he’s playing well -- the only one of the bunch who has any business being near a top-four role.
Expecting that group to hold up against a top-five offensive team just wasn’t realistic, and sure enough, they didn't.
2. Forwards didn’t do enough to help
That said, Boston’s forwards deserve plenty of blame in this one as well. Bruce Cassidy has talked about the need for forwards to do more to help out the D when that group’s banged up, but that most certainly did not happen Sunday night.
The Capitals got far too many easy breakouts and transitions, as the Bruins seemed to be a step late on the forecheck all game long.
On Washington’s third goal, it was the Bruins’ top line -- with David Pastrnak back alongside Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand -- that all got caught up ice, giving the Capitals an easy 3-on-2 the other way.
On the second goal, the Bruins had numbers back, but fourth-line wing Anton Blidh got caught flat-footed and watched Lars Eller walk right around him before beating Dan Vladar.
The Bruins also stunk on the power play through two periods, which can’t be blamed on the defense either. They started the night 0-for-3 and struggled to even get good looks, with too much standing around and passing on the outside and not nearly enough pucks and bodies to the net. They finally broke through with a Craig Smith power-play goal in the third, when the game was already out of hand.
3. Don’t overreact
This was an ugly one. No question about it. It might be tempting to look at Sunday night and think maybe the Bruins should actually be looking to sell on Monday.
If you’ve thought that all along, then great. Continue to feel that way.
But if you thought last week that the Bruins should be looking to add to this team after a stretch that saw them win three of four against the Penguins, Flyers and Capitals, this weekend really shouldn’t change that, especially because of the aforementioned D situation.
If anything, it further highlights the need for help on defense. Every credible report has been that the Bruins are looking to buy, not sell. If that’s the case, Sunday night shouldn’t change anything for Don Sweeney. They’re still in playoff position, and should still be a playoff team.
The defense will get healthier. Miller should be back in the lineup Tuesday night. McAvoy and Grzelcyk both could be as well. Carlo’s timeline is less certain, but it’s not expected to be too long-term. Don’t let one game without any of those four in the lineup change your mind about anything.