The Boston Bruins’ impressive three-game winning streak just came to a screeching halt. They fell 2-1 to the Ducks tonight in Anaheim, a tough start to the second game of their four-game West Coast road trip. The Bruins (now 5-3-0) were flying high coming into this, dropping a massive 17 goals over those last three contests against the Mammoth, Flyers, and Sharks, but tonight, their offense simply couldn’t get going.
A First Period That Felt Like a Different Team
From the jump, things felt off for the Bruins. DiPietro, in just his second appearance of the season, was doing his best in net, surviving an early barrage of shots and keeping the Ducks off the board despite three good chances. But the team in front of him looked sluggish. They turned the puck over three times in the first seven minutes alone. The Ducks dominated possession for most of the period, firing off eight shots to Boston’s five with five minutes left on the clock. The Bruins’ defense, usually solid, seemed to be struggling with man coverage, letting the Ducks dictate the pace.
And then, the dam broke. With just 37 seconds left in the first, Tim Washe snuck one by DiPietro from long range, assisted by Jackson LaCombe and Tristan Luneau, to give the Ducks the lead. That stung. Moments later, it got worse. After a costly turnover in the neutral zone by the Bruins, Beckett Sennecke scored, assisted by Nikita Nesterenko and Cutter Gauthier, sending the Ducks into the intermission with a shocking 2-0 lead. This was a whole different game compared to what we saw on Tuesday, with the Bruins skating much slower than we’re used to.
Brunet Lights the Lamp, But Not Enough for a Comeback
Pavel Zacha won the face-off to kick off the second period, a small glimmer of hope. The Bruins finally got their first powerplay of the night when Tyson Hinds went to the box for holding Casey Mittelstadt. And man, did they make it count! David Pastrnak’s shot deflected off the crossbar, but Frederic Brunet was right there on the rebound, scoring his first NHL goal ever, assisted by James Hagens and Zacha! Just like that, it was 2-1 and the Bruins were back in it.
Pastrnak almost tied the game later, coming close, but Lukas Dostal smothered the puck for the Ducks, shutting down the chance. That was pretty much it for the offense, though. Leo Carlsson, who’s been a standout for Anaheim with seven points, two goals and seven assists this season, helped the Ducks hold on tight. The Ducks, who were just coming off a disappointing loss to the 1-6-0 Flames, totally flipped the script tonight. This 2-1 victory over a hot Bruins team is a huge statement for them.
The Bruins now need to regroup fast. This road trip is far from over, and you can bet Mike Macdonald and the crew will be looking for a much sharper performance in their next outing. Early season losses sting, especially when you’re riding a hot streak. They’ve got to find that scoring touch and tighten up that defense if they want to get back on track.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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