Another game, another goal disallowed after video review, another loss. Frustration and desperation are becoming hallmarks of the homestretch to the regular season for the Boston Bruins, who lost their fifth game in a row last night, a new season high, with a 4-1 defeat against the Florida Panthers at TD Garden.
After a scoreless first period the Bruins took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Ryan Spooner, but former Bruin Reilly Smith tied things up with his twenty-fourth goal of the year, a career high for him that no doubt has Bruins management wondering "why couldn't he score goals like that for us?", but one could argue perhaps he wasn't given enough of a chance to or allowed to let his offensive skills flourish under the very structured, defense-first coaching style favored by Claude Julien, but that's a tad off topic. What is relevant is that the Bruins have just eight games left in the regular season to right their ship and sail into the playoff harbor. If they don't, it'll be the second year in a row they've missed the post-season, and the second year of doing so by losing critical games at the tail end of the year. If that happens, I can guarantee you there will be a new coach behind the bench next season, even if such a collapse isn't necessarily Claude Julien's fault.
In any event the Bruins were again victims of a combination of their own sloppy play and some very questionable video review. The slop included allowing a short-handed goal after Reilly tied the game at one. Then Patrice Bergeron appeared to have tied the game at two when he put a shot into the corner of the net behind Roberto Luongo, but a lengthy video review went the Panthers' way, the refs deciding it was inconclusive whether the puck had crossed the line. Julien said after the game he received a text from another coach who saw the play and asked "how is that not a goal?" Bruins fans expressed the same sentiment in words somewhat sharper than that raining down from the rafters of the Garden. The disallowed goal discombobulated the Bruins and Florida tacked on two more for the win and they've now moved into first place in the Atlantic while the Bruins sputter and spin their wheels just as they did last year at this time when they lost six in a row after the Ides of March. This year's post-Caesar free fall stands at five games and if the Bruins don't get wins fast it will be time to bury and not to praise them.
They have now a razor thin cushion keeping them propped up against the inside of the playoff bubble because the Detroit Red Wings beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 last night and now sit just one point behind Boston for third place in the Atlantic. Riley Sheahan scored twice for the Wheeled Wings in Motor City to give Detroit, which has been slumping of late as well, a much needed victory. The Red Wings have extra motivation to make the playoffs, given the team's remarkable streak of twenty-four straight seasons without missing the post-season. You have to go back to 1990 to find the last time they didn't print Red Wings playoff tickets in Hockeytown. It's going to be a nail-biter again to see who gets into the Stanley Cup tournament this season, and Bruins fans don't have good history on their side, having missed the cut by a single game last year, and playing their worst hockey of the season at the worst time and with video review seemingly working against them at every turn as well.
Potentially happier news for fans of the New England Patriots, who are trying to give Tom Brady more options at wide receiver next season, and to that end signed free agent veteran Nate Washington to a deal yesterday. Washington is 32 years old, spent last year with the Houston Texans and also has stints with Tennessee and Pittsburgh over a twelve year career. Despite his age, Washington had a pretty good year with Houston last season, catching 47 passes for 658 yards and was a starter all year working in tandem with the Texans' star receiver DeAndre Hopkins, so he may have something left in the tank to help the Patriots offense next year.
The NCAA mens' basketball tournament is starting to settle down after a plethora of early round upsets. Top seeded Oregon beat defending champion Duke yesterday. Another one-seed, Kansas, toppled the Terrapins of Maryland, and two 2-seeds also advanced, with Oklahoma beating Texas A&M and Villanova defeating the Miami Hurricanes.
Locally, the Saint Michael's College women's lacrosse team completed its two-game Spring Break trip to Florida with a 9-7 win over Southern Connecticut State. Sophomore Emily Byrne and freshman Kate Martin both had two goals and an assist for the Purple Knights in the win. In mens' lacrosse, SUNY Canton beat Johnson State 12-6.
