BOSTON – It was a variation on the same theme for the Bruins on Thursday night as they scored three goals, all of which came from their top offensive guns on the power play.
David Pastrnak scored two power play goals and Patrice Bergeron added a tally for the Black and Gold on the man advantage, but it wasn’t quite enough in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning at TD Garden.
That means Brad Marchand, Bergeron and Pastrnak have scored 14 of the Bruins' 17 goals over the last six games, and means they are getting a whole lot of nothing from just about everybody else across the board.
Torey Krug and Sean Kuraly are the only other B’s players who have more than one point over seven games played this season, while Jake DeBrusk, Charlie McAvoy, David Krejci, Charlie Coyle, Danton Heinen and Karson Kuhlman (among others) have yet to get anything going offensively this year.
All of those players were kept off the board for the B’s on Thursday night, and that proved to be the difference in the game.
“We win the game tonight if we get secondary scoring from anybody," head coach Bruce Cassidy said. "I think we’re stating the obvious saying that. Having said that, our record is pretty good without it, but I don’t think it’s sustainable."
Other than Coyle, Heinen and Brett Ritchie producing as a third line on opening night against the Dallas Stars, the second and third lines have been nonexistent offensively for a Bruins team that's still pulled in 11 of a possible 14 points thus far.
The good news is that the Bruins are still getting results despite a very top-heavy offense, but the bad news is they desperately need somebody to step up.
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“It’s important. As time moves on guys start doubting themselves a little bit more,” admitted defenseman Torey Krug. “We need to find a way to breakthrough and when we do then the floodgates will open. It’s just about finding your confidence and your touch. Maybe when you think you’re working hard, you’ve just got to work that little bit harder. A lot of time guys think they’re putting in the extra work and putting in the time, but they can do a little bit more.”
That certainly sounds like Krug feels some of the struggling forwards can bring a little bit more to the table right now, both in terms of production and the energy and effort they are bringing to the table.
One thing is for sure: It can’t get much worse than it’s been over the last six games where nobody aside from Marchand, Bergeron and Pastrnak has provided any kind of scoring for a Bruins team still off to a pretty good start.
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