Things looked all too familiar for the Bruins on Thursday night.
Boston had a lead, held on to it for a good chunk of the game before relinquishing it and ultimately losing. Such was the case against the New York Islanders, to whom the Bruins Bruins lost 4-1, just two days after giving up a one-goal lead and losing in a shootout to the New York Rangers.
The Bruins had all the momentum in their favor. Patrice Bergeron returned to the lineup after missing the last three games with a head laceration, the de facto second line remained in tact and the Islanders had lost their last three games. But three unanswered goals from New York were too much for Boston to overcome.
Taylor Hall, who had the lone goal for the Bruins, didn't make any excuses for the Bruins after the loss.
"It's kind of been like that all year," Hall told reporters after the game, per team-provided audio. "I mean, even when Brad (Marchand) is in the lineup, it's not like we're beating teams 6-5 or 4-3, it's usually a 3-2 win or 3-1 or 4-1 with an empty netter. Those kinds of games that we have to be comfortable playing and (Thursday), we're up by one going into the second, that should be a signal for us to lay on the gas and keep going.
"Unfortunately, I don't think we did that. And I don't care what their record is there. This team has had a lot of success, especially in their building. They're going to play hard, they're going to get pucks to the net and get greasy goals. That's how they play and that's what they did to us (Thursday)."
Marchand served his fourth of a six-game suspension. The forward appealed it but has yet to hear what his fate will be.
The Bruins were the better team in the first period, but couldn't keep that same momentum through the second and third -- something that's been a glaring issue all season.
They'll try to right the ship against the Ottawa Senators, a team they just beat last weekend, before welcoming the league-best Colorado Avalanche to TD Garden on Monday afternoon.
