The Boston Bruins suffered their first loss under interim head coach Joe Sacco against the Vancouver Canucks. After Jim Montgomery’s firing, the Bs won in consecutive outings and seemed to be getting back on track. However, after the defeat to the Canucks, the team’s irregularities came to light again. Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy made an honest statement on the team’s shortcomings.
The Bruins looked to turn the page and start from scratch after deciding to move on from coach Montgomery. They might have done that, at first, but their inconsistency came back to haunt them as the Canucks visited them at TD Garden.
Boston is currently in fifth position in the Atlantic Division and in 19th place in the NHL standings. They are among the candidates to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but they have had a lackluster start to the season.
After the game, McAvoy issued a straightforward message on the recent struggles and lack of goalscoring. Though he recognized it’s become an issue, he was optimistic.
Charlie McAvoy #73 of the Boston Bruins passes the puck away during the first period of a game of a game against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on November 23, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan.
“The dam is going to break at some point,” Charlie McAvoy said, via NHL.com. “Just hope it’s soon. We just got to keep playing the right way. We’re stressing defense in here, and we’re doing a great job of it, you know, and I think it has helped our offensive game. We just can’t score.”
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Sacco replicates the team’s feelings
Sacco’s first loss coaching the Bruins came during his third game at the helm. Though the previous wins were not too impressive (1-0 W vs Utah, 2-1 W vs Detroit), it was a good sign of change. Following the loss, Sacco issued a clear postgame comment, similar to McAvoy’s statement.
“We just have to start burying our chances,” Joe Sacco said. “I think that we’re giving ourselves a chance to compete in games now. The guys are defending hard, like I mentioned before, but offensively, we have to get some guys going and find their scoring touch.”
Familiar face scores game-winner in return to Boston
The Canucks took the lead during the second period and held on to it for the rest of the game. The goalscorer? None other than former Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk. DeBrusk was selected by Boston in the 2015 NHL Draft and had stayed in Beantown until the last offseason.
Since his arrival in Vancouver DeBrusk tallies six goals and eight assists through 20 games. He scored the game-winner against his former club. Following the Canucks triumph the left winger shared his feelings about returning to his old home.
“That was probably the weirdest game I’ve played probably since my first-ever game,” DeBrusk said. “That was my mental state, but the guys were great. Kept me in and kept cheering me on and stuff. You can think about anything you want to think about, but once push comes to shove and you’re on the ice, it’s about getting the two points. Obviously it means a lot to a guy like me to pull out the win.”
