"Let's face it,'' said head coach Claude Julien. "We gave them the first two goals. I can't say we are happy with our game tonight."
Montreal earned a critical two points in its 4-1 win at the Bell Centre in what was a four-point game for the Bruins. Boston now holds only a three-point lead in the Northeast Division over Montreal, with one game in hand.
Those are the facts,the clean-cut statistics of what was an unsuccessful outing for the B's north of the border. The intangibles are what pose the biggest concern.
Zdeno Chara will go under league review at noon on Wednesday for his hit on Habs winger Max Pacioretty with less than 20 seconds remaining in the second period. Pacioretty was knocked out cold upon slamming his head into a padded stanchion at the end of the Boston bench, then crashing hard to the ice. He lay on the ice for 10 minutes before doctors and team personnel were able to lift him onto a stretcher and take him to the hospital.
Reports midway through the third period from Canadiens management indicated that Pacioretty was conscious and able to move his limbs. That is the good news, and believe me, seeing that hit and a player lying unconscious on the ice only brought back horrific memories from both Patrice Bergeron and Marc Savard. No one ever wants to see a player injured, no matter where your loyalty may lie.
The bad news is that the Bruins may have lost their captain for a handful of games, if the league decides to suspend the 6-foot-9 goliath. The Bruins' power play has struggled as of late, and the team is in the midst of searching once again for wins after suffering back-to-back losses to key Eastern Conference opponents.
The time to lose the captain and patriarch of the locker room is not now.
However, no matter what the league decides, the B's must skate on, with or without Chara. They have to find their grit and determination again, much like they did on their six-game road swing two weeks ago, when Boston went a perfect 6-0 and continued their winning ways upon returning to the TD Garden.
"We need to play with an edge because we're a better team when we do," said Milan Lucic. "But we have to be smart."
The Buffalo Sabres, who are 5-3-2 in their last 10 games, come to Boston on Thursday night. They currently have a very lose grip on the eighth and final playoff spot. You can bet that Ryan Miller and Co. will come ready to play, and the Bruins will have to do their best to regain top form and get back in the win column.
The East is extremely tight, and games like Tuesday night in Montreal just won't cut it.
