Talking Points: Boston Bruins Show ‘Frustration’ In LA Shootout Loss

BOSTON – Here are the Talking Points from the Boston Bruins 3-2 shootout loss to the Los Angeles Kings at TD Garden on Thursday night.

GOLD STAR: Adrian Kempe starred in the comeback for the Los Angeles Kings after the Bruins were up by a two-goal lead in the second period. It was Kempe that crashed the net and beat Charlie McAvoy to a bouncing loose puck to get LA on the board, and then it was Kempe again in the third period on a late power play snapping home a shot after a sweet cross-ice pass from Kevin Fiala for the power play goal. In all Kempe finished with the two goals and seven shot attempts in 17:22 of ice time. The second goal was a thing of beauty after Los Angeles kept missing the net with shot attempts leading up to his score on the man advantage.

BLACK EYE: Not a particularly great evening for Charlie McAvoy, who was on the ice for both goals against and couldn’t clear an admittedly bouncing puck away from danger that led to LA’s first goal. McAvoy finished with an assist and a minus-1 rating in his 23:56 of ice time and had a pair of giveaways along with a high-sticking double-minor in the first period that helped Boston get off to a bit of a sluggish start with a lot of special teams play involved during a game with very little flow.

TURNING POINT: For the Boston Bruins, there is zero question that the winning/losing portion of the game was the third period when they got one power play after another down the stretch and couldn’t convert on either of them. Instead, they got out of both PP possessions still clinging to the one-goal lead and a pair of penalty calls handed LA a 5-on-3 advantage that they didn’t squander in getting the tying goal. Certainly, there was more time to factor in like the overtime and the shootout, but the game was lost for the Boston Bruins late in the third period when they couldn’t ice the proceedings with another power play strike.

HONORABLE MENTION: Kevin Fiala is a player that the Los Angeles Kings very much wanted when he was going to be dealt by the Minnesota Wild, and one could see why in the way he played on Thursday night. Fiala was engaging physically like when he drew a holding penalty on Brad Marchand while the two were embroiled in a puck battle, and he put up a pair of assists on the score sheet including a slick pass to Adrian Kempe for the game-tying power play goal late in the third period. Fiala finished with the two assists and a plus-1 rating along with four shots on net in 17:59 of ice time in the LA win.

BY THE NUMBERS: 3 – the number of consecutive home games at TD Garden that the Boston Bruins have gone to the shootout.

QUOTE TO NOTE: “It would’ve been nice if the ref didn’t get in the way.” –Brad Marchand on the sequence in overtime when he and Philip Danault earned matching minors after getting into it physically before linesman Ben O’Quinn stepped in after Marchand’s gloves went flying.

Brad Marchand and Phillip Danault will not be exchanging Christmas cards this winter. pic.twitter.com/EdelaV06x2

— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) December 16, 2022