The Boston Bruins were on the wrong side of a lopsided 7-2 game against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night.
Evgenii Dadonov led the way with two goals, with Matt Duchene, Logan Stakoven, Oskar Back, Roope Hintz, and Mason Marchment adding the others for the Dallas. Meanwhile, Charlie Coyle and David Pastrnak replied for the Bruins.
So, here’s a closer look at the three reasons why the Boston Bruins lost a blowout to the Dallas Stars on Thursday night.
3 reasons why Boston Bruins lost to Dallas Stars
#3 Scoring woes continue for the Bruins
The unfortunate lack of scoring continued to plague the Bruins against Dallas. The Bruins managed just two goals on 25 shots against Dallas, with top players like Elias Lindholm failing to get a shot on goal. Additionally, Brad Marchand went quiet on the night. Top blueliner Charlie McAvoy was also kept off the scoresheet.
While David Pastrnak got on the board, it was too little, too late for the Bruins. By the time Pastrnak scored, the game was well out of hand. The Bruins will need to rekindle their scoring touch if they plan to stay in the Atlantic Division playoff race.
#2 Carlo-Lohrei defensive pairing was awful
The Brandon Carlo-Mason Lohrei defensive pairing ended the game with a minus 3. The pairing was a make-shift solution after regular left-side defenseman Hampus Lindholm was placed on IR with a lower-body injury.
So, Lohrei took Lindholm’s spot. However, he and his partner Carlo were largely ineffective. Lohrei played over 21 minutes with Carlo just a shade under 18.
It’s worth pointing out that Carlo stayed in the game following a violent collision with Stars captain Jamie Benn. Benn hit Carlo from behind, leaving him on the ice. While Carlo got up and returned to the game, the hit could have impacted his performance on the night.
#1 Jeremy Swayman got torched
Swayman gave up all seven goals on the night. While it’s unfair to pin the blame on Swayman, it’s worth pointing out that Swayman has been inconsistent this season. He’s turned in some magnificent performances such as shutting out the Seattle Kraken on November 3.
However, Swayman just didn’t have it on Thursday night against the Dallas Stars. The blowout was reminiscent of the six goals he gave up against the Carolina Hurricanes on October 31. Swayman’s lack of consistency has been a concern for the Boston Bruins. Hopefully, Swayman and the Bruins can get back on track.
The Boston Bruins will have a chance to regroup before taking on the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night.
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