The Bruins just cannot seem to score against the Devils this season. Their struggles against the East Division's seventh-place team continued on Sunday in a frustrating 1-0 loss — the second such defeat at the hands of the Devils on home ice this year.
There wasn't much to cheer about in this one as the Bruins have now played 15 periods of hockey this year against New Jersey without scoring an even-strength goal, resulting in an 1-3-1 record against the Devils.
Mackenzie Blackwood stopped all 40 Bruins shots he faced, while a pair of video reviews late in the third period went against Boston.
Here are three key takeaways from the game.
1. A final minute to forget
Trailing 1-0 in the final minute of regulation, the argument could be made that the Bruins had two goals taken away from them.
However, objectively speaking, the refs reviewed two really difficult calls and by the letter of the law made the correct decisions.
After David Krejci forced the puck out of Mackenzie Blackwood's glove, Patrice Bergeron had appeared to tie the game on a loose puck in front of the net. New Jersey challenged the call on the ice for goalie interference and won the argument as it was ruled Krejci's stick disrupted Blackwood's ability to make a save.
So, the Bruins had another minute or so remaining to try to re-tie the game. In the final seconds, it seemed as though the Bruins may have scored on a buzzer-beater.
With the puck pinballing off of sticks and bodies, it eventually came as close as possible to crossing the goal line without being a goal. After a lengthy review it was deemed no-goal, essentially ending the game.
Was the puck over the line? Possibly. Was it 100% conclusive on video replay? No, and the refs made the right call based on what they're asked to do.
Frustrating yes, but what's really frustrating is that if the Bruins played with the same shot mentality and net-front presence in the first 59 minutes as they did in the last minute then they likely would have won the game.
2. Top line struggling to find offense
While an ongoing theme this season has been the Bruins' lack of secondary scoring, the top line has also had their struggles over the last month.
Oftentimes billed as the "perfection line", Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak have combined for just one even-strength goal over the last 10 games dating back to March 7.
No, Marchand hasn't played the last two games, and yes on Sunday, Bergeron looked to have tied the game in the final minute — but it was with an extra attacker and he didn't.
It's curious how these elite players with such proven chemistry have struggled so much offensively lately both at even-strength and on the power play. The Bruins can't afford to have them held off the scoresheet this much, even when one of the three are out.
It could be that by playing the same seven teams over and over, opponents are game-planning more effectively — in which case, that's how the playoffs will be, so the Bruins better find ways to adjust or else their depth scoring will really have to step up.
And that's the ultimate concern — will the top line be able to implement their game when the playoffs role around?
There's little to no doubt that they'll frequently get back on the scoresheet this regular season, but can they remain the "perfection line" in potentially four seven-game series?
3. Power play can't capitalize on third-period double-minor
Clearly the power play is lacking confidence and with each passing game it's becoming more and more obvious that the Bruins are their own worst enemy.
New Jersey's penalty killers did a great job pressuring the Bruins and Blackwood made the stops he needed to make — but the Bruins had their chances and simply lacked finish.
And when the team needed a power-play goal, down 1-0 in the third period, the Bruins once again came up short on the man advantage.
One play in particular that exemplified the Bruins' shortcomings on the power play was when Matt Grzelcyk stepped up to keep a puck in at the blue line, quickly moved it to Patrice Bergeron in the slot, who then one touched a pass over to David Krejci at the bottom of the right circle — with a wide open net, Krejci elected to pass it one too many times and the play got broken up.
Krejci could have tied the game then and there with a shot mentality.
Instead, another opportunity squandered and the Bruins were unable to eventually tie the game, despite chances in the final minute.
