Bruins mistakes cost them series sweep vs Rangers
The Boston Bruins had a chance to sweep the New York Rangers Thursday night and move on to the NHL Eastern Conference Finals, but mistakes prevented them from doing so.
The Bruins played the first three games of the series with confidence and polish to take a 3-0 series lead.
Boston looked to be on the verge of a sweep in the second period when they took a 2-0 lead on two power play goals.
However, out of nowhere, Boston started to make mistakes that eventually cost them the game and a sweep. New York was able to keep their hopes alive by defeating the Bruins in a hard earned 4-3 overtime win.
On Thursday, the mistakes by Boston were made by the team’s best players. Tuukka Rask, the Bruins goaltender who had been the anchor on an airtight defense through the first three games, appeared to trip himself as Carl Hagelin, the Rangers forward skated at him. Rask was taken out of the play with the stumble, and missed Hagelin’s weak shot that went into the back of the net. With just one bizarre play, the Rangers, after being down 2-0, were back in the game.
The next mistake came in the third period, with the Bruins up 2-1, by Zdeno Chara, Boston’s captain and arguably the most consistent and sturdiest defenseman in the NHL.
Chara was behind his net handling the puck when Derek Stepan the Rangers forward, swooped in behind and stole the puck. Before Chara realized what was happening, Stepan tucked his wraparound shot past Rask and the game was tied early in the third.
Boston was able to remain focused and retook the lead in the game on a Tyler Seguin shot that beat Henrik Lundqvist.
However, another costly mistake would end the momentum for Boston once again. As Shawn Thornton was nearing the Boston bench to end a shift, Seguin stepped on the ice too early and Boston received a penalty for having too many men on the ice.
The Rangers took advantage and scored their first playoff goal of the series to tie the score. Up until that series, the Rangers power play unit had not scored on 23 consecutive attempts.
Eventually the game went into overtime and New York scored the winner and the series moves to Boston for game 5.
The teams will meet at Boston’s TD Garden on Saturday and the Bruins must make an effort to eliminate the unusual mistakes.
Rask said following the game that every team makes mistakes but the important thing is to learn from each one and then move on. The Bruins goaltender is not worried the loss will hurt the team and is looking forward to ending the series on his team’s home ice on Saturday.
