Bruins Notes: Boston Stuck In ‘Frustrating’ Stretch Of Inconsistency

The Boston Bruins found an edge Tuesday night when a three-goal third period behind veteran leadership spearheaded a comeback victory over the St. Louis Blues.

That vanished Thursday night in another dominant loss at the hands of the Dallas Stars for the second time in a month. The 7-2 loss dropped the Bruins back to .500 at 8-8-2, leaving their head coach searching for the opportunity to snap the streak of ups-and-downs.

“It’s been frustrating all year that we haven’t been able to string together three or four consistent games,” Montgomery told reporters, per NESN’s postgame coverage. “We feel like our habits and details are consistently there.”

“We take a step forwards then take a step backwards,” Nikita Zadorov told reporters, per NESN’s postgame coverage. “It’s hard to win in this league versus good teams. They’re going to put you on your heels, you have to deal with pressure.”

Montgomery pushed for better execution and mental awareness on the ice with a reminder that the Bruins need to know what to do with the puck on their stick. Boston got beat by a better team Thursday, though playing with consistency in their mindset must be a priority in the coming weeks.

“I don’t think we were as connected and didn’t believe as much,” Pavel Zacha told reporters, per NESN’s postgame coverage. “That’s something we have to figure out inside of our team and get better.”

The Bruins have talent on the roster. There’s capable lines and capable production. Now, Boston has to find a way to stack wins, consistently believe in comeback potential and play a clean, full 60 minutes on a nightly basis.

“We’re gonna make sure this is a building block for us, not a step back,” Jeremy Swayman told reporters, per NESN’s postgame coverage.

Here are more notes from Thursday’s Bruins-Stars game:

— Boston surrendered three goals to Dallas in the second period in both meetings this season. The Stars bested the Bruins, 5-2, at TD Garden on Oct. 24.

— Brandon Carlo went to the locker room in the first period after going head-first into the boards off a hit from Dallas captain Jamie Benn. Carlo did return for the Bruins in a positive sign for an already injury-filled defensive corps.

“He’s a tough competitor,” Montgomery said. “One thing about Brando is he wears his heart out on the ice. He’s a Bruin.”

— Zadorov stepped in to protect his teammate and dropped the gloves in a victorious fight with Benn.

— Dallas outscored Boston 12-4 to sweep the season series over the Bruins.

— All seven goals for Dallas came at even strength. The Stars previously scored three power-play goals in the second period of the first matchup with the Bruins in Boston.

— The Bruins return to TD Garden on Saturday afternoon to host the St. Louis Blues. Boston came back from a 2-0 deficit in the third period to win in St. Louis on Tuesday night. Puck drop is set for 1 p.m. ET. You can catch the game, plus an hour of postgame coverage, on NESN.