The Boston Bruins dropped a tough 3-2 decision in overtime against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night at the TD Garden.
Pavel Zacha and captain Brad Marchand scored in the second period. Josh Norris opened the scoring for Ottawa, with Michael Amadio getting the equalizer late in the second, and Brady Tkachuk ending the game 21 seconds into overtime.
Here’s a look at the three reasons why the Boston Bruins lost in overtime against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night.
3 reasons why Boston Bruins lost after all Ottawa Senators
#3. The Bruins’ inept offense
The Boston Bruins managed just 16 shots on goal against the Senators. While the Senators’ defense deserves credit for their strong performance, the Bruins’ offense sputtered, failing to deliver yet again.
Former Bruin Linus Ullmark stopped 14 of 16 shots in the game for Ottawa, keeping the Sens in the game long enough for his team to come back to tie the game.
Perhaps the most telling sign of the Bruins’ anemic offense was getting zero shots on goal in the third period. The third-period shot count favored the Sens 12-0. The Bruins managed one shot on goal in overtime. The rebound from that shot eventually led to the Tkachuk game-winning goal.
#2. The Bruins wasted a tremendous outing by Jeremy Swayman
Jeremy Swayman was the hero of the game. He stopped 31 shots, earning the game’s second star. It was Swayman’s brilliant performance in the third period that gave the Bruins a chance to win the game. However, the Bruins could not muster a single shot on goal, barely getting the game into overtime.
The offense has been unable to provide Swayman with enough support, relying solely on great goaltending to win games. That approach didn’t work on Saturday night as the Sens capitalized on a weak Bruins team.
#1. The Bruins could not keep up with the Senators
In overtime, the Bruins managed a tremendous 2-on-1 play with Marchand setting up David Pastrnak for a one-timer. However, the Sens picked up the rebound and were off to the races on the other end.
Marchand and Pastrnak were gassed, unable to get back into the play. By the time the two Bruins’ forwards got back into their zone, the Sens celebrated the game-winner. Tkachuk’s goal evidenced the Bruins’ inability to play 60 minutes. While Marchand and Pastrnak’s effort was notable, they gave up on the backcheck, gifting the Sens two points.
The Bruins will hit the ice again on Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues at the Enterprise Center.