Bruins Plus/Minus: Shootout Woes Continue, But Shouldn't Have Gotten To That Point
BOSTON (CBS) - The Bruins fell to Calgary 4-3 Thursday night at TD Garden.
On the bright side Boston did pick up a point, but it was another rough going for the B's in the shootout, which continues to be an Achilles heel for them.
After the game, 98.5 The Sports Hub's Adam Jones caught up with Dave Goucher and Bob Beers of the Bruins Radio Network to provide a recap.
Some fans hate the shootout, but nobody hates it more than head coach Claude Julien.
He told reporters after the game, "They suck. They suck. Yeah, that's my version of shootouts."
It's hard for him not to feel that way after losing seven straight shootouts this regular season, but what seems to be the problem? Is it lack of skill or something else?
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"The first two shooters tonight couldn't even get shots on net. I don't know, it's just a guess but maybe some of it is mental right now. They are one for their last 20 in shootout [attempts]. They were 0-for-12 in Edmonton the last time they were in one, and 1-for-8 tonight. It's frustrating to watch," said Goucher.
"It kind of fit to a large degree part and parcel to what this game was for the Bruins. Lot of missed opportunities throughout the game to score. They had some golden opportunities they could not bury, and that carried over into the shootout as well."
For a team trying to ward off Florida, Ottawa and Philadelphia in the standings, you'd certainly take the point the Bruins earned Thursday night.
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But for color man Bob Beers, it shouldn't have even come to that.
"This game shouldn't have been a shootout. Should not have even have been there. I think they shot themselves in the foot plenty of times in this game, whether it be missed opportunities or whether it be too many penalties. You were in the box a lot, and you negated a couple of the power plays you did have," said a frustrated Bob Beers.
"You were short-handed seven times in this game and Calgary gets two power play goals from it. There were some correctable mistakes, but you put yourself in a position to take those penalties and they're going to get called."
The Bruins had seven penalties to Calgary's three, and when you're fighting for dear life just to hold onto a playoff spot, the margin for error is very small. Boston can't afford to make those kinds of mistakes.
The Bruins are 3-4-3 in their last 10 games, and they'll look to improve their recent skid Saturday at TD Garden against Philadelphia.
Listen below for the full recap, including Adam Jones' positives and negatives from the game:
Hear every game of the 2014-15 Boston Bruins season on 98.5 The Sports Hub — the flagship station of the Boston Bruins. Pregame coverage with Dave Goucher and Bob Beers begins 30 minutes prior to every game!