Don't Expect Bruins To Rebound From Winter Classic Debacle Against Conference-Best Capitals
By Matt Dolloff
BOSTON (CBS) -- New Year's Day brought plenty of excitement to New England, where the Boston Bruins took the ice at Gillette Stadium's temporary rink for the much-hyped Winter Classic showdown with the Montreal Canadiens. The rivalry and history alone made the game intriguing enough, but it was also an important contest for the standings.
You would think, then, that the Bruins would have delivered a more representative effort against the Habs, who controlled the puck for the majority of the game and fired five pucks past Tuukka Rask for a decisive 5-1 victory. The red-hot Rask may have saved the Black & Gold from the game getting even uglier.
The Bruins' performance in that game was, to put it lightly, poor. Considering that most of the hockey world was watching the game, it was also a bit embarrassing. But the Bruins now need to put that debacle behind them as they prep for another big game, this time at home against the Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals.
Defenseman Tory Krug joined Zolak & Bertrand Tuesday and said that they won't overreact to a bad game and over-think things, even going up against one of the league's elite teams.
"We're going into it with the mindset we're going to win a hockey game," said Krug.
Even if the Bruins play harder and attack the puck better than they did in their effort against the Canadiens in Foxboro, they may not be able to survive against Washington, which may be the league's most complete team.
Sitting at second in the NHL in both goals for (3.1) and goals against (2.2) per game, the Caps have transformed from a run-and-gun offensive juggernaut spearheaded by Alex Ovechkin to a legitimate threat in all three zones under head coach Barry Trotz. Offensive stalwarts like Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom have committed to playing more defense, and their puck possession stats have seen a clear uptick in a season-and-a-half with Trotz. And, Ovechkin is still scoring goals at a high clip, sitting at fifth in the NHL with 21 goals so far.
This game could come down to who cashes in on their power play chances. The Bruins and Caps own the league's top-two power play percentages, at 28.6 percent and 25.6 percent, respectively. The Bruins' penalty-kill (82.4 percent) has climbed to 8th in the league while Washington sits fifth at 84.5 percent.
The Bruins face a significant challenge with the entire Capitals roster Tuesday night, but the biggest is to solve goaltender Braden Holtby, who has become the ultimate Bruins assassin. In 10 career games against Boston, Holtby is 8-2 with a 1.52 goals-against average and .954 save percentage, including three shutouts. He could have blanked the B's for a fourth time in their meeting earlier this season if not for a goal that bounced off Jimmy Hayes' chest and in.
Holtby did not give up a goal in three games against the Bruins in 2014-15, so the Bruins essentially have not scored a good goal on Holtby since March 29, 2014, when they scored four times. So until the Bruins prove they can get past Holtby at even a serviceable rate, the Capitals netminder will be by far the biggest obstacle to their chances of winning.
If you're hoping for a Bruins turnaround tonight, don't hold your breath. They can't possibly be less competitive than they looked in the Winter Classic, but earning a bounceback win against the team with the second-best record in the NHL is a tall task for anyone.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
