Boston Bruins
Third Period Breakdown Costs Bruins In Loss To Blackhawks
BOSTON — Outside of pride and improving their chances of winning the top pick in the upcoming NHL Draft lottery, the Boston Bruins have nothing left to play for in the 2024-25 season. The only problem is that they can’t take care of both simultaneously.
On Thursday night at TD Garden, it was the latter that the Bruins satisfied as they fell 5-2 to the lowly Chicago Blackhawks.
“It’s still a humbling league,” Bruins interim coach Joe Sacco said.”It’s a good league, regardless of where teams are in the standings. You have to be ready for 60 minutes. It’s a learning lesson. You find out you have to show up and compete for 60 minutes regardless of who you’re playing.”
The Bruins came ready, except during a 1:33 long stretch in the third period where they allowed three straight Chicago goals.
With the game even at 1-1, former Bruin Ryan Donato cleaned up a puck that was loose in the crease to put the Blackhawks ahead. Moments later, Tyler Bertuzzi, who also used to play for the B’s, drifted by the front of the net and tipped a shot past Jeremy Swayam to make it 3-1 before Kevin Korchinski’s blast from the blue line put Boston down by three.
“They won that couple of minutes, and that decided the game, unfortunately,” said Swayman after he finished the night with 16 saves on 20 shots.
Along with Donato and Bertuzzi, Nick Foligno was another previous member of the black and gold who found the back of the net for the Blackhawks.
The now-Chicago captain erased a 1-0 Boston lead at 7:55 of the second period when he collected a puck along the boards and blew by Mason Lohrei for a breakaway chance that he buried with a quick snap shot.
As for the current Bruins, their only offense once again came from their top line.
David Pastrnak opened the scoring at 10:39 of the first period after he deflected in a shot from Elias Lindholm for his 42nd goal of the season.
Following Chicago’s outburst of offense in the third, Morgan Geekie cut the deficit in half with his 31st goal of the year, but that was as close as the Bruins got as Foligno buried his second goal of the night on an empty net in the final seconds.
“The bottom line is,Ā you come in here, and you want to get a win, no matter the situation,” Pastrnak said. “That’s got to be the mindset,Ā to win and play the right away with details making sure the effort is there. That has to be automatic. Obviously, we want to finish on the right note.”
The Bruins have just two games left on their schedule. They’ll visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday afternoon before returning home next Tuesday to face the New Jersey Devils and close the book on the 2024-25 season.
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