The Boston Bruins turned in a bit of a stinker Sunday night, and maybe one play best described the lackluster showing.
With the Bruins on the power play and trailing the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3, the ‘Canes cleared the puck to the other end of the ice, and Tuukka Rask went behind his net to retrieve it and keep possession until a Bruins defenseman got down to the other end.
But the B’s netminder started skating back towards his net, and in the process lost the puck right near the left post of the goal. Sebastian Aho got it and quickly shot, but Rask stopped it. In doing so, the puck deflected right to Teuvo Teravainen, who scored the Hurricanes’ second shorthanded goal of the night.
It put Carolina ahead 5-3, which proved to be the deciding margin.
After the game, Rask acknowledged the mistake but cracked a holiday joke about his shared nationality with Aho and Teravainen.
“Huge mistake by me, and there’s the game.” Rask said, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “You probably saw the replay, I mean, the way I see it, it was an early Christmas gift to the fellow Finns.
“I try to stop it behind the net or wherever I have the chance and I try to make the right play,” Rask added. “In that case, I didn’t. Made a couple bad backhand passes, and then I made plenty of good ones today. So, yeah, shooting for perfection.”
Not many players turned in sterling performances Sunday night, but the Bruins were playing with added energy in search of an equalizer when Rask’s gaffe happened. While mistakes like that happen to every goaltender, it clearly took the air out of Boston’s tires.
Here are some other notes from Sunday’s Bruins-Hurricanes game:
— Ryan Donato was the lone bright spot for the Bruins in the loss. The winger buried two goals, although the first one came with a bit of help from Trevor van Riemsdyk. He also drew a penalty, with the Bruins looking for the tying tally, but it proved to be the man advantage Boston conceded the ugly goal to Teravainen on.
Since getting called up from Providence, Donato has shown that he’s improved in the areas he needed to see growth in. He’s stronger on the puck and is playing better defensively, and it’s resulting in added trust and increased chances. The Bruins have been thirsty for secondary scoring all season, and Donato has the game to provide that. Because of that, the 22-year-old’s recent play should be encouraging.
— Sunday’s loss was the first time the Bruins fell to the Hurricanes in regulation since April 13, 2013.
