BOSTON — It’s no secret the Bruins need to improve their power play, especially before the Stanley Cup playoffs start next month.
Boston’s man advantage has left much to be desired lately, though it did produce in Saturday’s 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning thanks to a goal from Patrice Bergeron. But the Bruins have squandered opportunities of late, and it’s crucial to be able to capitalize with the extra skater.
The Bruins looked sloppy during one of their power plays Saturday that ended with Charlie McAvoy getting called for a trip. No team is perfect, but if Boston could tweak its power play, it would be pretty close to perfect.
And this isn’t a new thing for the B’s. The power play issues date back to when Bruce Cassidy was head coach.
After the game, Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery spoke about the power play and where he believes it can improve.
“I don’t think net-front guy — I think (Garnet) Hathaway could be, yes — but I don’t think net-front guys are the issue,” Montgomery said. “It’s our breakouts, it’s our entries and the speed in which we move the puck once we have possession. We’re very slow coming out of an attacking goal. It’s something we have to continue to work on and get better at.”
Bergeron also knows he believes the answer to the power play.
“I think generating a little bit more speed but also not get stuck on one play,” he said. “Sometimes we’re trying to gain the zone, gain the line with control. There’s times they’re shutting us down well, they’re taking away the blue line and sometimes space is behind them and we need to read that a little better.”
There are 10 games left in the regular season, so while there’s still time to right the wrongs, it would be best for Boston if it can fix that sooner rather than later.
The Bruins are right back in action Sunday night when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes. Puck drop from PNC Arena is set for 5 p.m. ET.
