Game 33 Live Blog: Boston Bruins Vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

BOSTON – Here are five thoughts from the second period with the Boston Bruins trailing the Pittsburgh Penguins by a 2-0 score after the opening 40 minutes at TD Garden.

• Brandon Carlo done for the night after one period of play with an upper body injury. Given what he said about the issues he was having with the last concussion he experienced over the last month and this was only his second game back from it, you have to hope it has nothing to do with that.

• Jeremy Lauzon is still struggling. He was beaten badly by Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson on a speed rush that started in the Pittsburgh defensive zone, and has now played big roles in three goals given up in the last couple of games. The whole looked bad as Matheson cut through them with the puck, but Lauzon needs to make a better play to cut off his angle.

• Just one shot attempt and none on net for David Pastrnak through two periods. I’ve barely even noticed him. He certainly hasn’t been getting to the interior as Bruce Cassidy was imploring earlier this week, but he’s not even holding the puck right now.

• Credit the Penguins for playing a strong game tonight, however. They are packing the house around the Pittsburgh net and they’ve been very opportunistic with the offense against the Bruins. They aren’t giving Boston much and don’t seem particularly concerned about point shots from the B’s defensemen crew.

• Speaking of bad nights, Charlie Coyle has been on the ice for both goals against. It was his turnover that led to Matheson’s scoring rush to the Boston net, and it was Coyle that was late covering Zack Aston-Reese on his tap-in attempt at the Boston net.

BOSTON – Here are five thoughts from the first period with the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins locked in a 0-0 tie after the opening 20 minutes at TD Garden. I can think my buddy Conor Ryan really said it best.

pic.twitter.com/zGqLkwrlDi

— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) April 1, 2021

• Zero shots on goal from any Boston Bruins forwards in the first period. And they had a two-minute power play. Credit the Penguins a bit for playing a tight-checking game and getting into the shooting lanes, but there’s zero excuse for one Bruins forward not being able to make a single play to get a shot on Pittsburgh’s backup goaltender.

• The Bruins very nearly paid for their mediocrity in the first period as a Connor Clifton pinch turned into a breakaway chance for Jason Zucker. But fortunately for the Bruins Zucker missed high over the crossbar with his backhanded attempt. They really deserve to be losing after the first period and are fortunate they are not. That’s actually the best thing to feel good about.

• Dan Vladar with another solid period for the Bruins, though the Penguins didn’t generate much in the way of offense either. Seven saves for Vladar as he continues to stop everything that he’s supposed to.

• One thing the Bruins did do was pay the physical price, at least. The Bruins threw 12 hits in that first period and blocked eight shots and finished with more in each of the hustle categories than the Penguins after one period of play.

• Total waste of a power play in the first period after Brian Dumoulin cross-checked David Pastrnak in front of the Pittsburgh net.