NHL News: Bruins coach Joe Sacco shares self-criticism after tough loss to Predators

Another loss, another tough blow for the Boston Bruins this NHL season. This time, it was the Nashville Predators who became the main culprits in the defeat for Joe Sacco‘s team, who couldn’t find a way to turn the game around and, once again, ended up empty-handed. Following the final whistle, the coach delivered a strong self-criticism regarding the outcome and the way the game unfolded.

Currently sitting in second-to-last place in the Atlantic Division, the Bruins suffered their 27th loss of the regular season, and are slowly slipping further away from playoff contention. For this reason, it has become crucial to turn things around immediately.

Joe Sacco didn’t make any excuses for his team’s performance against the Predators and, after the game, revealed what he believed were the key factors that prevented the Bruins from defeating their opponent.

“We didn’t execute that well tonight,” Boston Bruins coach said via NHL.com. “I mean, when you look at some of the plays that we made with the puck, like I said before, I just think that … areas we expect to be better in, we weren’t.”

Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against Elias Lindholm #28 of the Boston Bruins during the third period at TD Garden on February 25, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Leafs defeat the Bruins 5-4 in overtime.

David Pastrnak also expresses regret over what transpired

It was a high-scoring, back-and-forth game, where either team could have taken the lead at any moment. However, every time the Bruins closed the gap, the Predators quickly regained their advantage.

see also

NHL News: Joe Sacco makes key announcement on Brad Marchand’s injury timeline amid Bruins playoff push

Regarding this situation, David Pastrnak lamented the number of times the Bruins could have closed the gap on their opponents, or at least maintained the tie they had managed to secure for a few minutes.

“Giving up the lead is tough, especially those goals we scored were tying goals,” said Bruins forward, who had two assists. “In a tight game, we could have grabbed momentum after our goals, but unfortunately it went the other way. It’s not the first time it’s happened this season, so it’s definitely a momentum killer, and you can’t win hockey games like that.”

The keys to victory, according to Nashville’s head coach

On the other side, the Nashville Predators secured a solid victory over a historic rival, although they still remain far from the top spots. After the game, coach Andrew Brunette praised the efforts of his players in this win.

“It shows the resolve of our group,” Brunette said via NHL.com. “We’ve been resilient all year, but it hasn’t shown up in the wins and losses, and unfortunately it’s too many losses, but we’ve never given up, and that’s what we’re most proud of with the group. … The hardest part in this game is to show your character when things aren’t going well, and things haven’t gone well, but we show our character that we don’t quit. For that, you usually get rewarded at some point, and we got rewarded tonight.”