Bruins’ Elias Lindholm gets brutally honest after ‘embarrassing’ loss to Tampa Bay Lightning

Elias Lindholm and the Boston Bruins were dominated en route to a 6-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning at home on Saturday night.

Despite selling off many pieces at the trade deadline including Brad Marchand, Brandon Carlo, and Charlie Coyle, the Bruins remain squarely in the mix for a playoff spot. Saturday's game against Tampa Bay saw another critical two points up for grabs, but Boston didn't play like it.

Not only were the Bruins blown out on the scoreboard, they were outshot 40-12 and couldn't muster up a single shot in the second period. The TD Garden crowd booed their team off the ice after both the second and third periods of play.

Elias Lindholm spoke to the media after the game and called out his team for its poor effort at home on Saturday night. Bruins writer Joe Haggerty shared those comments on X.

"It was embarrasing. The compete level was nowhere to be found. Unacceptable. The fans pay a lot of money to come here & watch us play. They have every right to boo when the effort was like that. The second period was the worst I've seen us play this year," Lindholm said.

Lindholm registered two points (one goal, one assist) in the 6-2 loss, but that did not make up for the result. After Saturday's slate of games, Boston (68 points) are four points behind the New York Rangers (72 points) for the final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference, while Detroit (68 points), Columbus (70 points), and Montreal (71 points) also stand in their way.

Elias Lindholm has had a tough first season in Boston

Elias Lindholm's first season as a Boston Bruin has been a struggle.

The 30-year-old signed a massive seven-year, $54,250,000 contract with the Bruins in the offseason. He was brought in as the number one center, but has yet to meet those expectations. Lindholm has produced just 36 points (12 goals, 24 assists), and is a -7 rating through 68 games this season.

With six years remaining at an average annual value of $7.75 million, the Boston Bruins will need Elias Lindholm to start playing the way he did during his time with the Calgary Flames. He produced close to a point-per-game and was one of the best defensive centers in the league throughout his time as a Flame.

Lindholm and the Bruins will look to bounce back on Monday night when they host the Buffalo Sabres. The puck drops at 7 p.m. EST at TD Garden.