BOSTON — The Boston Bruins have given up leads of all sorts and committed unnecessary penalties in the third period throughout this season.
But the Bruins did something in the third period Saturday night against the Ottawa Senators that they hadn’t done in nearly two decades.
The Bruins failed to register a single shot on net in the frame and the Senators went on to score the game-winning goal off the stick of Brady Tkachuck just 21 seconds into overtime for a 3-2 win at TD Garden. It was the first time the Bruins didn’t record a shot on net in the third period since December 2006, according to The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont.
So why have third periods repeatedly been an issue for the Bruins? Jim Montgomery couldn’t put his finger on it.
“I don’t have (an) answer,” Montgomery said.
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Montgomery will go to work to find one, though. Offense has been a problem in the final stanza of regulation. The Bruins have just five third-period goals on the season and just one of those have come in the last 11 games.
“Talk about it. Figure out why,” Montgomery said. “We’ll look at what we’re doing sports science-wise. We’ll come up with answers. Right now I don’t have an answer for you.”
Bruins star forward David Pastrnak might have one. He said the Bruins “weren’t hungry enough to get the game-winning goal.” Elias Lindholm almost buried his chance just seconds into overtime, but was denied by Linus Ullmark.
Montgomery doesn’t question if his message is getting through to the team and he doesn’t have an answer on why it’s not resonating at the moment, either.
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“It’s up for you guys to figure that out and come up with a reason,” Montgomery said. “We just weren’t good enough. You guys can write what you guys think is the malaise on the team and what’s going wrong. We’re just not playing good enough.”
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Here are more notes from Saturday’s Bruins-Senators game:
— Ullmark came away with the win in an emotional return to face his former team. Ullmark didn’t need a high-volume performance to get the job done as he recorded just 14 saves. It tied the fewest saves he’s had in a winning effort in his career and he felt the Senators made a statement with their performance.
— Jeremy Swayman did his best to match his counterpart and former goalie partner, but he faced a much heavier workload. Swayman stopped 31-of-34 shots.
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— Pavel Zacha provided an offensive bright spot as he centered the second line with Tyler Johnson and Pastrnak on his wings. Zacha scored for the second consecutive game as he spun around in the slot and beat Ullmark by lifting a backhanded shot into the top of the net.
— The Bruins head out on the road as they take on the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. Puck drop from the Enterprise Center is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET and you can watch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, on NESN.
