Bruins Notes: Boston Played ‘Solid’ Game Despite Shootout Loss

BOSTON — The Boston Bruins dropped the 3-2 decision in the shootout to the Tampa Bay Lightning at TD Garden on Tuesday night.

Despite being in a two-goal deficit, the Bruins snagged a point with better effort and execution compared to the loss to the Washington Capitals on Saturday.

“We played a real solid team game,” Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery said. “They scored that second goal, we still felt like we’re gonna be able to get back. Sometimes, you lose games in this league, and you feel like you deserve better. That’s going to happen. I was proud of our effort.”

Even though the Bruins outshot the Lightning, 38-25, Boston was not able to execute on the power play, going 0-for-6 on the man advantage.

“Our power play needs to come through for us there. Can’t go 0-for-6,” Montgomery said. “That’s an area that we have to look at right now.”

Boston may not have capitalized on the power play, however they did generate nine shots.

“I think that’s the best (we) felt about our power play,” Bruins forward James van Riemsdyk said. “I thought we moved the puck around really well and had some really good looks. … That’s something we can definitely build on and keep working on.”

The Bruins’ tying goal came on a delayed penalty where Montgomery pulled Linus Ullmark from the net in favor of the extra skater and Brad Marchand drove the play.

“I thought that whole sequence by him, just gaining the zone, his puck protection,” Montgomery said. “Then he lost it a couple of times, but he gets it right back again, and then we executed.”

Defenseman Charlie McAvoy thought the play was destined to go the Bruins’ way.

“Tried one play and then got it back. Tried another, got it back again,” McAvoy said. “It was just like something good was destined to happen. (The puck) just kept finding him and then (he took) a good shot and great play by (van Riemsdyk). That’s where he makes his living there in front of the net.”

van Riemsdyk notched his ninth goal of the season on that play and was thrilled to put one in the back of the net — especially after he was hit with a shot just a few seconds earlier on the same play.

“That stuff happens when you’re standing in front of the net,” van Riemsdyk said. “Whether it’s getting hit with the puck or a cross check, things like that, but obviously, I’ll take all that to score a goal.”

Here are more notes from Tuesday’s Bruins-Lightning game:

— The Bruins and Lightning have met three times this season. Boston has gone 1-0-2 against Tampa Bay, losing 5-4 in overtime on Nov. 20 at Amalie Arena before defeating the Lighting 7-3 on Jan. 6 at the Garden. The two teams will meet for a final game on March 27 in Tampa.

— David Pastrnak and Marchand earned an assist on each of the Bruins goals in the game. It was Pastrnak’s 27th multi-point game of the season and Marchand’s 14th.

— The Bruins fell to 8-4-10 in one-goal games, 9-8-5 when their opponent scores first, 6-0-3 when tied after two periods and 2-2 in shootouts this season.

— The Bruins continue their seven-game homestand when they host the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night. Puck drop from TD Garden is slated for 7 p.m. ET, and you can catch all the action, plus an hour of pregame coverage on NESN.