Bergeron on Bruins loss: ‘I don’t think we had our legs tonight’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Bruins saw their 10-game point streak come to an end on Saturday night against the New York Islanders. Despite scoring first and being tied 2-2 after the second period, the Bruins couldn’t break through the Isles defense during the third period and fell by a final score of 4-2.
The defeat was just their second regulation loss of the season, both of which have come against the Islanders on the road.
The loss wrapped up a three-game New York road trip for the Bruins that saw the team play three games in the Big Apple in four days. And as Bruins center Patrice Bergeron noted, the team lacked energy in the final game of their trip.
“Yeah, I don’t think we had our legs tonight,” Bergeron said to reporters after the game. “I don’t think we were making, at times, not the best decisions. Playing a great team, a team that’s very hard on the forecheck and they got a lot of turnovers out of it and created a lot of chances out of that forecheck.”
It’s reasonable that the B’s would be tired playing their third game in four days, especially considering that they were playing their seventh consecutive road game as a result of some COVID-related home-game postponements. But Bergeron refused to blame the schedule for the team’s loss.
“That being said, it is what it is,” Bergeron said. “The schedule is the same for everyone, we know what’s there. We have to rest when we do have that time. But yeah, I think tonight was one of those nights where the energy wasn’t the greatest and hopefully we can have a few days here to regroup and recharge.”
The good news is that the Bruins will have some time to rest up. They won’t play again until Thursday night against the New Jersey Devils after their Monday night game against the same Devils team was postponed. That contest will come in the friendly confines of the TD Garden, so perhaps the extra time off at home will serve the B’s well.
Even despite their loss to the Islanders, the Bruins are atop the NHL’s East Division with a 10-2-2 record (22 points). They are four points ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers in the race despite being tied for the second-fewest home games played so far this season (four).
