Bruins React To Resounding Boos During Dreadful Loss To Capitals

BOSTON — It’s not very often the Bruins get booed in their own barn, but the jeers resonated heavily from the TD Garden crowd during Boston’s ugly loss to the Washington Capitals on Saturday.

Throughout the last 40 minutes of the game, the boo-birds overpowered the “Let’s go Bruins” chants normally heard at the Garden, and late in the second period after Brad Marchand put a shot on goal to bring Boston’s total to seven, the crowd mocked the captain with a mock cheer.

“They have a short memory. That’s their right,” Marchand said after the game. “They pay for tickets to come watch, and they can cheer if they like what they see, and they can boo if they don’t. That’s up to them.”

Marchand added: “We know we’re in a very passionate city, sports city, and very passionate fans. They expect us to win every game … it’s not gonna happen. But they got to see the effort, and obviously they didn’t like it tonight.”

It was the second time in the last three games, that Bruins fans expressed their displeasure with the team. Boston dropped a 4-1 decision to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday, before laying an egg against the Capitals on Saturday.

“You know, you don’t love it,” Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo said. “I have so much respect for this organization, for that Spoked-B. We all do in this room. I think the culture that’s been established here, and in years past, especially since I’ve been here, you come to work every single day, and I love that the fans in this organization hold us accountable.

“When we don’t come to work to play to be our best, that’s what you want from the fan base. And you can’t imagine a better fan base to win in front of so I respect it. But it’s something I don’t want to hear because that means we’re not doing our job as well.”

Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery, like his players, understands how passionate the fans are in Boston.

“I love our fans,” Montgomery said. “That’s what I think. They’re hockey knowledgeable. They’re not wrong.”

The Bruins will look to silence the boos and gain cheers when they get back to work on Tuesday when they host the Tampa Bay Lighting at TD Garden in an Atlantic Division battle.