The Boston Bruins kicked off their 2024-25 marketing campaign on Tuesday night time with a 6-4 loss to the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
The rating itself makes the sport look nearer than it was. In actuality, the Panthers appeared like the identical group that ended the Bruins’ playoff hopes the final two seasons. Florida got here out and punched Boston within the proverbial mouth — bodily and mentally.
“Their execution was actually good, our execution was actually poor,” Jim Montgomery advised reporters. “I can’t pinpoint why we appeared so gradual, however we appeared gradual the whole sport, not simply the primary 10 minutes, for my part.”
Earlier than the eight-minute mark of the opening body, the Bruins trailed 2-0, and the Panthers held a 10-1 shot benefit. Nevertheless, Montgomery didn’t blame beginning goalie Joonas Korpisalo.
“Korpisalo was not the issue tonight, it was the folks in entrance of him,” Montgomery mentioned. “You may’t hand over 4 backdoor tip-ins and anticipate your goalie to make save after save. He made a number of saves on breakaways. He was good tonight. The gamers in entrance of him, the remainder of the group and the teaching employees, we weren’t adequate.”
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The Bruins introduced in defenseman Nikita Zadorov and heart Elias Lindholm within the offseason with excessive expectations that the duo would assist Boston battle Florida and different contenders. Nevertheless, the entire group fell quick of their quest to begin the season off with a win. Zadorov mentioned the roster being revamped within the offseason is partly the rationale for the loss.
“We didn’t play effectively,” Zadorov advised reporters, per team-provided video. “… I don’t suppose we made a play within the first interval for the puck. We misplaced each battle on the partitions, in our zone, web entrance, every thing. In order that was the results of the primary interval.”
Zadorov added: “It’s the primary sport. There’s a number of new faces. Feelings, clearly, the historical past and the previous in opposition to that group, so I really feel the main target stage wasn’t there slightly bit at present. Nevertheless it’s Recreation 1 out of 82 video games; we’re gonna get used to one another. We’re going to be advantageous.”
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Listed below are extra notes from Tuesday’s Bruins-Panthers sport:
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— Trent Frederic was one Bruin who made his presence identified in Dawn, Fla. The ahead tallied his first purpose of the season within the third interval to get the Bruins inside three and tousled with Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk a few instances within the contest. Tkachuk even baited Frederic into taking an unsportsmanlike conduct infraction within the opening body. Frederic took subject with Tkachuks’ disrespect of the sport.
— The Bruins received two particular groups targets within the loss. The primary got here when Pavel Zacha lit the lamp shorthanded with Zadorov within the field for cross-checking Tkachuk within the first interval. It was his sixth-career shorthanded purpose — his first in a Bruins uniform. David Pastrnak scored the primary power-play purpose of the season with lower than three minutes to play in regulation. Boston held Florida scoreless on six power-play alternatives however surrendered a shorthanded purpose to Sam Reinhart one minute after Zacha scored for Boston.
— Boston misplaced its season opener for the primary time in 5 seasons. The final time the Bruins dropped a contest on Opening Night time was in opposition to the Washington Capitals to start the 2018-19 marketing campaign. Sarcastically, similar to the Panthers, the Capitals raised their 2017 championship banner that night time.
— The Bruins return to motion Thursday night time with an Unique Six matchup in opposition to the Montreal Canadiens. Puck drop from TD Backyard is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. You may watch the sport, plus an hour of pregame protection on NESN.
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