Talking Points: Bruins Lose Grzelcyk Early, Lose Game 4-2 To Caps

The Boston Bruins had to play with five defensemen for the final two periods and never got their powerplay going in a 4-2 loss to the Washington Capitals Sunday.

With the loss, the Boston Bruins (45-22-5, 95 pts), concluded their four-game road trip at 2-2-0 and headed home to Boston still up by a point on the Tampa Bay Lightning (43-20-8, 94 pts), who were set to play Buffalo Sabres at 5 PM ET Sunday night.

After out-playing the Capitals for a large portion of the first period, the Boston Bruins found themselves down 1-0 to 4:11 into the second period on a John Carlson goal. Just 3:44 later though, the offense finally clicked for the Boston Bruins as Curtis Lazar and Erik Haula scored exactly one-minute apart to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead. The Capitals tied the game 5:55 later though when Tom Wilson beat Boston Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark for his 23rd goal of the year off a sick feed from Lars Eller.

Eller struck again 7:18 into the third period to give the Capitals a 3-2 lead over the Bruins. The Bruins never seemed to find that extra gear after the Eller goal and Alexander Ovechkin sealed the game with an empty-netter for his 45th of the season with two seconds left in regulation.

GOLD STAR: Lars Eller – The former Montreal Canadiens center scored the game-winning goal and assisted on the game-tying tally. Lars Eller was an energy maker out there Sunday and constantly entered the offensive zone with passion and authority.

Tom Wilson scores against the Boston Bruins to make it 2-2 #WSHvsBOS #ALLCAPS #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/RqrgkjNlNA

— nopClips (@nopClips) April 10, 2022

BLACK EYE: Bruins Powerplay – While losing Matt Grzelcyk after just one period and having to play the final two frames with just five defensemen was clearly a black eye, the Boston Bruins still had plenty of opportunities to seize control of this game on the powerplay. Unfortunately for them, they were seemingly lifeless on the man-advantage and finished 0-for-4. Obviously Grzelcyk’s absence on the powerplay hurt but there was till no excuse for the lack of purpose and creativity on the powerplay Sunday.

TURNING POINT: Lars Eller GWG

#ALLCAPS 3-2. Haula gets his second of the game and breaks the tie. Lars Eller will get the primary assist. pic.twitter.com/fD6IIpkHub

— Capitals Replays (@capsreplays) April 10, 2022

HONORABLE MENTION: Charlie McAvoy – Charlie McAvoy seems to be getting Honorable Mention a lot lately and it makes wonder if maybe he should be a Gold Star more often? McAvoy was an offensive beast in the first period with two shots, a point-blank scoring shot and plenty of sauce that should have led to goals for the Boston Bruins. The Bruins defenseman and border-line Norris Trophy candidate finished with three shots, four hits and a blocked shot as he had to compensate for Matt Grzelcyk’s absence and play a game-leading 28:18.

BY THE NUMBERS: 28:18 – McAvoy’s time on ice in another beast-mode game.

QUOTE TO NOTE:  “Obviously missed his puck moving back there. It was a big, big, big factor in the game: our inability to transition very well. It cost us in the end.” – Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy on how the Bruins missed Grzelcyk after he left the game with an upper-body injury in the first period.