One Big Takeaway As Rough Third Period Dooms Bruins In Loss To Jets

Closing out periods has been an issue for the Boston Bruins throughout this season.

But with the Western Conference-leading Winnipeg Jets in town Thursday night, it was the starts of periods that plagued the Bruins.

The Bruins chased the Jets after they scored 2:55 into the contest and Winnipeg scored three goals within the first six minutes of the third period to take a 6-2 win at TD Garden. Boston, which has been outscored 13-4 in its last two games, now sports a 25-22-6 record while the Jets improved to 36-14-3.

The Bruins nearly solved their woes to start periods when Elias Lindholm sniped a shorthanded goal just 11 seconds into the final frame to level the score at 2-2. But that momentum was lost in a blink.

The Jets blitzed the Bruins with Mark Scheifele scoring his 31st goal of the season just 24 seconds after Lindholm’s tally and Nikolaj Ehlers added another goal less than a minute later. Ehlers took advantage of a Mason Lohrei miscue when the Bruins defenseman brought the puck out in front of a partially open net and Ehlers knocked the puck off Lohrei’s stick and into the net.

The Bruins quickly allowing their opponent to score after they find the back of the net is becoming to regular of an occurrence this season. It happened earlier this week in their lopsided loss to the Sabres when Buffalo twice beat Jeremy Swayman within a minute of the Bruins scoring.

Boston also didn’t do itself any favors for how it started the contest. Not taking penalties had to be a major part of Joe Sacco’s game plan since the Jets came in with the top power play in the NHL. But Bruins captain Brad Marchand, who scored on the power play in the first period, took a cross-checking penalty 1:19 into the opening stanza and the Jets converted on the man-advantage thanks to Vladislav Namestnikov.

Marchand, who received a 10-minute misconduct for arguing a Brandon Carlo high-sticking penalty in the third period, was called for an interference penalty with three seconds left in the second period, which helped the Jets immediately respond following Lindholm’s key goal.

It was far from the response the Bruins needed after arguably one of their worst losses to the season to the Sabres. For a glimmer, it looked like the Bruins were on the verge on a terrific rally en route to a stellar win.

Instead, it was yet another deflating defeat.