The Boston Bruins just cannot stay out of the penalty box. It killed them in Monday’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Calgary Flames. It has killed them throughout their current six-game losing streak. It may very well help kill their entire season.
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Monday night was a winnable game. It was 1-1 after two periods. The Bruins were the better team in the third – at least when the game was being played 5-on-5. They only gave up one shot on goal in the final 20 minutes of regulation. But they kept killing their own momentum and limiting their chances to score a winning goal by taking penalties – three of them in the third period alone.
The first was an unnecessary hook by Mark Kastelic at the offensive blue line, his second reach-in stick penalty of the game, both of which were in or right at the edge of the offensive zone. The second was another reach-in penalty, this one on a hook by Hampus Lindholm during a battle where he had already gotten good body position.
Kastelic and Lindholm have been two of the Bruins’ worst offenders when it comes to the stick penalties, in particular, with both on pace to surpass their career highs in penalty minutes. They are two of the four Bruins who rank in the top 50 in the NHL in minor penalties taken this season, joined by Nikita Zadorov and Charlie McAvoy.
All that said, the Bruins’ penalty kill was perfect through Calgary’s first four power plays of the night. It was the fifth and final penalty that doomed them, though.
That one came right at the final buzzer in regulation, when Jonathan Aspirot carelessly high-sticked Blake Coleman on a nothing play. The Bruins almost survived. Heck, they even almost scored a shorthanded winner. But they didn’t. Instead, Connor Zary scored with seven seconds left on the penalty to hand Boston its sixth straight loss.
“It’s a tough one. It’s a tough one,” Bruins coach Marco Sturm said after the game. “There’s nothing left on the clock, and then you take a penalty like that. We did a pretty good job, but again, you just gotta know what time it is. You gotta control your stick a little bit. That’s just unfortunate.”
It’s just way too much time being spent killing penalties, and it’s catching up to the Bruins. They’ve been shorthanded four or more times in five of these six losses. They have now been shorthanded 152 times this season, 21 more than any other team.
They’ve surrendered at least one power-play goal in nine of their last 10 games. Their penalty kill that ranked top-10 in the league earlier this season has slipped to 19th thanks to a measly 70% kill rate over the last 10 games.
Penalties are certainly not the Bruins’ only problem right now. Their offense has dried up, scoring two goals or fewer five times during this six-game losing streak. That includes their two stars, David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie, who each have three points over these last six games.
Their team defense was better Monday, but still has not been nearly good enough overall. They rank 31st in expected goals against and 28th in high-danger chances allowed on the season.
They haven’t been getting the elite goaltending that Jeremy Swayman gave them in November, either. Swayman was mostly good Monday night, but the Flames’ first goal, scored by Blake Coleman, squeaked through him under the arm.
But, the penalties have to be the most frustrating issue for the Bruins right now. It is a problem Sturm and the team have not been able to rectify all season, especially the careless stick fouls. And if they can’t clean it up for their next game Wednesday night, you can go ahead and pencil in a seventh straight loss, because their opponent on New Year’s Eve is the Edmonton Oilers, owners of the NHL’s best power play.