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Charles Krupa \/ The Associated Press<\/p>\n
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Boston Bruins left wing Lukas Reichel shoots the puck past Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck in the second period of the Bruins’ 6-1 win, Thursday.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs soon as you drop your compete level against a team like that, that\u2019s the result that you\u2019re going to get.\u201d<\/p>\n
Indeed, the lifeless performance may have some fans looking to drown their sorrows. Where\u2019s Sam, Norm, Cliff and Woody when you really need them?<\/p>\n
There were plenty of cheers for the home team, which beat the Jets in nearly every facet: Shots (27-24), hits (24-10), high-danger chances (16-11) and, most importantly, in the goals department. The Bruins really took over after a fairly even first period.<\/p>\n
\u201cExecution started to deteriorate after that,\u201d Arniel noted.<\/p>\n
Most concerning would be his reference to a fading compete level, which could otherwise be known as effort. How does a veteran team with seemingly everything to play for \u2014 Winnipeg began the night four points out of the final Western Conference wildcard spot and just 15 games left \u2014 come up lacking in that department?<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know the answer, exactly,\u201d said Arniel. \u201cI just know that we haven\u2019t done that. I haven\u2019t seen that since the break and coming out of the break. To me, that\u2019s something that us coaches, with our leadership group, we\u2019ve just got to focus and make sure that doesn\u2019t happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Jets fall to 28-29-11 \u2014 including just 2-3-1 in their last six games. That\u2019s not exactly the late-season surge they desperately need.<\/p>\n
The Bruins improve to 38-23-8 and currently occupy a wildcard playoff spot in the ultra-competitive and jam-packed Eastern Conference.<\/p>\n
Pull up a stool, folks, as we dissect this one a bit further.<\/p>\n
Sore spots<\/p>\n
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck had a second straight tough outing, giving up six goals on 27 shots while fellow U.S. Olympian Jeremy Swayman stood on his head at the other end of the rink. It was a similar story to Tuesday\u2019s 4-3 shootout loss to the Nashville Predators where Juuse Saros was the best goalie on the ice.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that that was just one of those ones where, when the team in front of him starts to struggle, it puts an awful lot of pressure on him,\u201d said Arniel, who clearly didn\u2019t want to hang the reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner out to dry.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just unfortunate we weren\u2019t better in front of him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Defenceman Haydn Fleury had a truly miserable night and, after being on the ice for three of Boston\u2019s first four goals, was stapled to the bench for much of the third period. Fleury has struggled for a bit now and is likely to be a healthy scratch next game \u2014 especially with Neal Pionk on the cusp of returning from a two-month injury absence.<\/p>\n
Ville Heinola, who was the lone healthy scratch Thursday, is another option.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Charles Krupa \/ The Associated Press<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Boston Bruins’ Mark Kastelic, left and Tanner Jeannot tangle with Winnipeg Jets’ Morgan Barron in the second period, Thursday.<\/p>\n Winnipeg\u2019s dynamic duo of Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor were held in check by the Bruins, generating just one shot each and going minus-three. It\u2019s hard to pin much blame on them, since they have carried the team offensively for most of the season. But a game like this illustrates how easy it can be to shut the Jets down if you can contain the pair.<\/p>\n A lack of consistent scoring beyond the top line has been a season-long storyline.<\/p>\n Bright spots<\/p>\n The power play struck for a second straight game, with Jonathan Toews executing a perfect net-front tip off an Elias Salomonsson shot in the third period which briefly cut the deficit to 4-1.<\/p>\n Toews, who scored in four straight January games followed by a 20-game drought, has now lit the lamp in consecutive outings to give him nine on the year.<\/p>\n Salomonsson continues to impress and, in addition to setting up the lone goal, was promoted to the top blue-line pairing with Josh Morrissey for the third period. He did not look out of place whatsoever.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s fun to play with, easy to play with. So I think we complemented each other pretty good,\u201d said Salomonsson, who is now up to four points (1G, 3A) in his first 25 NHL games.<\/p>\n Arniel got the line blender out for the final frame, including moving Brad Lambert up to play with Adam Lowry and Cole Perfetti and Morgan Barron up to play with Isak Rosen and Alex Iafallo.<\/p>\n \u201cI was just trying to get some kind of spark, try and change things up,\u201d said Arniel.<\/p>\n Lambert had the other assist on Toews\u2019 power play goal, giving him points in two of his last three games.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, looking at the score it got away, but I feel like it wasn\u2019t a 6-1 game,\u201d said Lambert.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel we had our fair share of chances as well and we weren\u2019t able to capitalize on those and they got a couple of bounces and (then) it kinda snowballed from there.\u201d<\/p>\n Key play<\/p>\n Lukas Reichel, making his Bruins debut after being called up from the American Hockey League, scores into an empty-net to make it 2-0 Boston early in the second period. Hellebuyck had skated out of his crease to try and play a rimmed puck, only to have it deflect off the boards right on to the stick of a waiting Reichel.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a crazy bounce,\u201d said Arniel. \u201cThat kind of gets the whole group off-kilter a little bit on that bounce.\u201d<\/p>\n THREE STARS:<\/p>\n 1. BOS RW David Pastrnak: 1 goal, 1 assist<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Charles Krupa \/ The Associated Press<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Boston Bruins left wing Lukas Reichel, left, is held back by Winnipeg Jets defenceman Dylan DeMelo in the first period, Thursday in Boston.<\/p>\n 2. BOS G Jeremy Swayman: 23 saves<\/p>\n 3. BOS C Pavel Zacha: 1 goal, 1 assist<\/p>\n Extra, extra<\/p>\n Boston is the NHL\u2019s best home team, now with a record of 26-9-1.<\/p>\n Winnipeg, meanwhile, continues to struggle in enemy territory. The Jets won their first four road games this season, but now have just seven victories in the 28 that have followed (7-16-5). That\u2019s a big problem since nine of their remaining 14 games are away from home.<\/p>\n The Bruins swept the season series after beating the Jets 6-3 on Dec. 11 at Canada Life Centre.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n \t\t\tSign up for The Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t Winnipeg went 1-for-4 on the power play but blew a golden chance in the first period, with the score still tied 0-0, when Pastrnak clipped Jacob Bryson with a high-stick, drawing blood and leading to a double-minor that came up empty. Pastrnak would then open the scoring a couple minutes after exiting the sin bin.<\/p>\n Boston went 0-for-1 with the man advantage.<\/p>\n The Jets flew to Pittsburgh following the game and will face the surging Penguins on Saturday afternoon, then close out this quick road trip on Sunday afternoon against the New York Rangers.<\/p>\n \u201cReally important games coming up,\u201d said Salomonsson. \u201cWe just have to regroup and be ready in a couple days here.\u201d<\/p>\n www.winnipegfreepress.com\/mikemcintyre<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Mike McIntyre Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Mike produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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