Pastrnak completely off target, disastrous PP and more: 3 reasons why Boston Bruins lost 5-1 to Columbus Blue Jackets

By Nestor Quixtan

Modified Nov 19, 2024 03:54 GMT

The Boston Bruins were on the wrong side of a lopsided game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night at TD Garden.

The Blue Jackets skated away with a 5-1 win on the heels of goals from Dmitri Voronkov, Mathieu Olivier, James van Riemsdyk, Justin Danforth and Yegor Chinakov. Charlie Coyle added a power play tally to break the shutout for Boston.

Here's a closer look at three reasons why Boston pounded Columbus on Monday night.

3 reasons why Boston Bruins lost to Columbus Blue Jackets

#3. Bruins defensive lapses

The Bruins' defense consistently showed lapses throughout the game. In some instances, netminder Jeremy Swayman was there to bail out his team. In others, Swayman was unable to stop the puck. A good example was James van Riemsdyk’s goal.

Late in the first period, the Bruins turned the puck over in the Jackets’ zone. The ensuing rush led to the Bruins getting a shot on net that deflected off van Riemsdyk and past Swayman. Swayman had no realistic chance of stopping the puck.

Perhaps the most glaring situation was the fact that van Riemsdyk was all alone in front of the net with no one there to cover. A similar situation occurred on Yegor Chinakov’s goal. The Bruins’ defense neglected to pick up Chinakov, leaving him alone to pop the puck past Swayman.

#2. Bruins' disastrous power play

Overall, the Bruins' power play went 1-for-6. While Boston's lone goal came with the man advantage, it gave up two shorthanded goals.

Mathieu Olivier’s goal made it 2-0, while Justin Danforth’s shortie was the backbreaker for the Bruins, making it 4-1. In particular, Danforth’s goal was especially concerning as Mason Lohrei bobbled the puck allowing Danforth to steal the puck and score a breakaway goal.

The two shorthanded goals underscored the ineffectiveness of the Boston power play

#1. Pastrnak did not register a shot on goal

Boston's top scorer David Pastrnak was held shotless on the night. Similarly, Brad Marchand and Elias Lindholm were held off the scoresheet with five shots on goal between them.

The fact that the Bruins’ top scorers have been in a significant slump is a concerning trend that needs to change for Boston to stand a chance of winning games. Moreover, the lack of depth scoring has made Pastrnak, Marchand and Lindholm’s struggles even more glaring.

The Bruins will have a day to regroup before taking on the Utah Hockey Club at home on Thursday.