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Ahead of Game 7, Bruins need to stop straying from defensive strengths — both on the ice and behind their bench
"We're learning here in the playoffs. It's a different animal."
SUNRISE, Fla. — What played out on the frozen sheet in South Florida on Friday night was a network producer’s dream — and an NHL video coach’s nightmare.
As social-media channels craft highlight reels off of David Pastrnak’s between-the-legs tally and the tug-of-war found in a seven-goal third period, Jim Montgomery might opt to just burn the tape.
Game 6 of this first-round bout between the Bruins and Panthers was a disorganized, frantic mess.
It was just the type of rock fight in the mud that the 2022-23 Bruins routinely emerged from unscathed during regular-season play.
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But as Montgomery noted within the bowels of FLA Live Arena, this current team bares little resemblance to the one that rewrote the record books this winter.
“We just felt that it was that kind of game that we were going to pull out,” Montgomery said after Boston’s 7-5 defeat. “It was a kind of game that happened a lot during the year. And we always seem to find a way to win. But we’re learning here in the playoffs. It’s a different animal. It just is.”
Those hard truths about the perils of the postseason might need to be heeded behind the Bruins bench as well.
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The faults in Boston’s game have been apparent — and startling — out on the ice.
Linus Ullmark appearing mortal between the pipes stands as Boston’s most pressing issue, especially ahead of a decisive Game 7 on Sunday evening. Uncharacteristic turnovers have Matthew Tkachuk and Co. licking their chops whenever Boston is in the midst of a hurried breakout.
But Boston’s stout zone defensive structure has also been clawed to shreds by the Panthers, headlined by Friday’s shootout.
“When goals happen, as a coach — I don’t look at the goalie,” Montgomery said. “If he gets beat clean, then I notice things and if he’s not tracking pucks, that’s when … I always look at the team and what the team is doing in front of him. And it wasn’t good enough. That’s all I know.”
During the 47:06 of 5v5 play on Friday, the Panthers generated 15 high-danger scoring chances against Linus Ullmark and the Bruins. It marked the second time in this series that Boston coughed up at least 15 high-danger looks in its own zone.
They only surrendered 15 or more high-danger chances six times over 82 regular-season contests.
It was another disheartening performance from a Bruins team that steadily accrued wins by giving opponents next to nothing around their netminder.
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But the decisions made by Montgomery even before the puck was dropped in Game 6 set Boston up for a long night down in Florida.
In search of a bit more heft and snarl further down the depth chart, Montgomery swapped out Matt Grzelcyk in place of Connor Clifton on the blue line — pairing the hard-hitting skater next to Derek Forbort.
The results were disastrous.
An outlet pass sent out to no man’s land by Clifton led to a 2-on-1 chance for Florida in the first period, leading to Tkachuk’s first goal of the evening.
Both Forbort and Clifton were mired behind Boston’s net when AHL journeyman Zac Dalpe snapped a puck past Ullmark at 7:21 in the third period, knotting the score back up at four goals apiece.
A failed clear from Clifton was picked off in the closing minutes of the frame, leading to Eetu Luostarinen’s wrister goal — giving Florida a lead it did not relinquish.
The domino effect of Grzelcyk’s removal was also felt further up the lineup.
Despite middling returns during the regular season and playoffs, Montgomery stapled together a top pairing of Charlie McAvoy and Dmitry Orlov for Game 6. The Panthers generated a 7-0 edge in high-danger scoring chances during their 13:42 of 5v5 ice time together.
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Perhaps Grzelcyk’s individual contributions weren’t going to tip the scales in Boston’s favor on Friday night.
But Montgomery’s undue D-corps reshuffling stands as the latest example of Boston straying from its winning formula at critical stages in this series — just days after Montgomery’s augmented forward lines gave way to a sleepy start in Game 5.
Boston was buoyed by multiple contributors pulling on the same rope from September through April. But the Bruins also rarely overthought its lineup configuration over the grind of an 82-game slate, especially in regards to a copacetic goalie rotation and a stout six-man defensive unit.
Now, as the Bruins try to lift themselves off the mat going into Game 7, they have little to lean on for stability in both critical areas of the game.
Hockey is oftentimes a game of adjustments, especially in a best-of-seven series. As evidenced by Jake DeBrusk’s fateful fingertip infraction on Friday, it’s usually a contest decided by a few inches.
But it’s also not rocket science.
The 2022-23 Bruins won 65 games during the regular season. The personnel and lineup configurations that fueled that run all remain in place.
It falls on Jim Montgomery and the Bruins to stick to them on Sunday night.
Before it’s too late.
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