Marchand, Pastrnak blanked, Swayman outing wasted, and more: 3 reasons why Boston Bruins lost 2-1 to New York Rangers

The Boston Bruins dropped a frustrating 2-1 decision against the New York Rangers on Thursday at Madison Square Garden. The B’s hung tough against the Rangers but couldn’t generate enough offense as Jonathan Quick made the difference for New York.

Mika Zibanejad and Brett Berard scored for the Rangers. Elias Lindholm got the Boston Bruins on the board midway through the second period.

So, let’s take a closer look at the three reasons why the Boston Bruins lost to the New York Rangers on Thursday night.

3 reasons why Boston Bruins lost to New York Rangers

#3 The power play failed to make a difference

The Boston Bruins had just one power play opportunity on the night. Unfortunately, the Bruins could not capitalize. Given how close the score was, one goal on the power play could have made the difference between losing the game and managing a loser point.

However, the Bruins failed to score. A goal at that point would have made the game 2-1. With Elias Lindholm eventually scoring, the Bruins could have headed into the third period with a 2-2 tie.

#2 Jeremy Swayman's outing wasted

Bruins netminder Jeremy Swayman did his job, making 25 saves as he kept his team in the game. While Swayman didn’t have to make the acrobatic saves his opposite number, Jonathan Quick did, he had to contend with a strong effort from the Rangers.

Unfortunately, the Bruins could not back up Swayman, forcing him to take the loss despite a solid effort. Swayman was good in the final 40 minutes, stopping all 19 shots he faced.

For the Bruins, it’s becoming a concerning trend to see the team failing to score particularly in games where Swayman has played well.

#1 Marchand, Pastrnak blanked

Another concerning trend has been the lack of scoring from the Boston Bruins’ top six. While Elias Lindholm got the Bruins’ lone goal, captain Brad Marchand and sniper David Pastrnak failed to get on the scoresheet.

Despite registering seven shots on goal, Pastrnak was unable to generate offense. Meanwhile, Marchand got three shots on net, but could not beat Jonathan Quick. Marchand has now gone goalless in his last four games, while Pastrnak has one goal in his last seven games.

The Bruins sorely need their top scorers to get going if they are to secure a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Bruins will get a breather on Friday before taking on the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday night.