Pastrnak point streak ends, McAvoy's absence felt, and more: 3 reasons why Boston Bruins were shut out 1-0 by Minnesota Wild

The Boston Bruins fell to a 1-0 shutout loss against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday evening at the Xcel Energy Center. The loss sunk the Bruins further in the Atlantic Division standings. The B’s are now 3-5-2 in their last 10 games.

Frederick Gaudreau scored the game’s only goal in the second period to give the Minnesota Wild the win and snap a three-game skid. Jeremy Swayman made 21 saves in the losing effort for the Boston Bruins.

So, here’s a look at the three key reasons why the Boston Bruins were shut out by the Minnesota Wild on Sunday evening.

3 reasons why Boston Bruins were shut out by Minnesota Wild

#3 Ineffective power play

The Boston Bruins’ power play went 0-for-2 against the Wild on Sunday. Considering the tight-checking, low-scoring game, a power play tally could have made the difference between winning and losing.

Unfortunately for the Bruins, they were unable to capitalize on one of the few chances they got. While the Bruins’ penalty kill shut the Wild down, not getting a goal with the man advantage is something that came back to haunt the Bruins.

#2 McAvoy's absence felt

Boston Bruins top defender Charlie McAvoy continues to miss time on the ice as he recovers from the injury sustained during the 4 Nations Face-Off.

McAvoy’s absence has left the Bruins without a true puck-moving defenseman who can drive the offense. In McAvoy’s absence, Mason Lohrei has been tasked with taking over that crucial role. However, Lohrei hasn’t been quite as effective as McAvoy.

While Lohrei got three shots on goal in the game, he played over 24 minutes and did not make a significant impact, ending the game with a minus-1 rating.

#1 Pastrnak point streak ends

David Pastrnak had been on a 17-game point streak entering Sunday’s action. However, the Wild kept Pastrnak off the scoresheet, snapping his point streak.

Beyond the streak itself ending, the lack of offense from Pastrnak hurt the Bruins as they were unable to get on the board. With captain Brad Marchand also out of the lineup, the Bruins seemed devoid of any solid offensive pieces.

It’s worth pointing out that other top-six forwards Pavel Zacha and Elias Lindholm ended the game off the scoresheet. Other key players like Charlie Coyle and Morgan Geekie could not muster any sort of offense against the Wild.

The Bruins will be back on the ice on Tuesday night at the TD Garden as they host the Nashville Predators in a clash of teams having lackluster seasons.