Game 25 Live Blog: New York Rangers @ Boston Bruins

BOSTON — This is the only thought we need from the second period as the Boston Bruins are down 2-0 to the Rangers after 40 minutes at TD Garden.

Bruins power play not pleasing Butchie (or anybody else) today https://t.co/1HkYSsn4Lg

— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) March 13, 2021

BOSTON – Here are five thoughts from the first period with the Boston Bruins trailing the New York Rangers by a 1-0 score after the opening 20 minutes at TD Garden.

• Let’s call it what it is: The Bruins didn’t look ready to start this game. Ugly first period from beginning to end. Sloppy. The special teams was a mess. Team had no legs at all. Lucky to be down 1-0 after Jaro Halak made a number of big stops down the stretch in the opening 20 minutes. It sure feels like they didn’t respond very well to some of the adjustments that Bruce Cassidy made to the forward lines headed into this one. What the Bruins look like they could use is a Trent Frederic/Brendan Lemieux scrap after the two were exchanging pleasantries during warm-ups this afternoon.

Trent Frederic and Brendan Lemieux exchange pleasantries during warmups. pic.twitter.com/2lXgqE0pr3

— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) March 13, 2021

• Full credit to the Rangers for showing up with energetic skating legs ready to hit and hold onto the puck. They have looked as motivated as the Bruins looked to be in cruise control in that opening 20 minutes. K’Andre Miller and Pavel Buchnevich each had a couple of shots on net and it was Miller that scored the period’s only goal off a lost Trent Frederic face-off in the defensive zone.

• Zero shots on goal in two power play possession for the Bruins in the first period. They looked atrocious on the PP in the first period. That’s a concern given how inconsistent their power play has been over the last month.

• Brad Marchand definitely looks like he’s playing through something right now after being a question mark whether he could go or not. No shots on net and he looked like he was skating gingerly back to the bench after one fierce puck battle in front of the benches.

• Jaroslav Halak has been brilliant for the Boston Bruins. He made a big stop on Mika Zibanejad on the first shift of the game when Charlie Coyle blew the coverage in the defensive zone, and he did it again later in the first period when Alex Lafreniere was set up for a scoring chance at the backdoor post at the end of a Rangers power play. That stop kept it a 1-0 game and really allowed the Bruins to go in at intermission, get their heads on straight and come out ready to work in the second period. Nine saves for Halak in that first period.