They played more disciplined, taking only four minor penalties. They were more responsible away from the puck, they scored on 50 percent of their power-play chances (1 for 2), they won 58 percent of their faceoffs, they scored two goals in the third period (which had been their Achilles' heel), and yet the Bruins still lost, 3-2.
The surging New York Rangers scored once in the second period and twice in the third at Madison Square Garden to deliver Boston its sixth straight defeat. It's the longest losing skein for the Black and Gold since they endured a seven-game skid from March 17-April 3, 1997. That was Steve Kasper's second (and final) season behind the bench, one in which the Bruins used 44 players, including six netminders.
"We had some good chances and we checked better tonight," said general manager Mike O'Connell. "I thought it was better. We have to do that every night."
When a team is going through a stretch like this, when the season seems to be crumbling under its feet, it's hard to find light amid the darkness, but coach Mike Sullivan said he was encouraged by what he saw last night.
"I thought this was one of our better efforts, I really did," he said. "I thought we did a lot of positive things out there. I thought we played a smarter game and had more awareness away from the puck. We're fighting through this ... and there's a fine line between winning and losing, but I thought we took a step forward."
Sullivan said he doesn't think he needs to sell to his players that they will get out of their slump.
"They'd better believe, because I believe," Sullivan said. "This isn't an easy experience. I know that these guys care. We have a lot of hockey ahead of us and I think we took a step forward."
The Bruins carried the play for significant stretches. In the new-look NHL, in which goals are supposedly plentiful, Boston continues to struggle to create offense. The chances might be there, as they were in the first last night, but the finish is still largely absent.
Early in the second, Rangers center Petr Prucha broke the scoreless deadlock. The Bruins turned over the puck and star right wing Jaromir Jagr got it at the top of the right circle. He saw Prucha in the slot and fed him, and Prucha's shot went over the glove of goalie Hannu Toivonen at 2:02.
Left wing Brad Isbister was called for slashing Rangers left wing Martin Straka at 9:37, the first penalty of the game for either team and the longest stretch without an infraction in the NHL this season.
It was the Bruins, though, who nearly had a goal during New York's power play. Patrice Bergeron broke up the play in the Boston end, got the puck, and charged in on Henrik Lundqvist. He tried to beat the goalie inside the right post, but Lundqvist threw out his gloved left arm and kept it out.
The Bruins finally broke through just 38 seconds into the third when right wing Glen Murray cashed in on a pass from captain Joe Thornton. Thornton, behind the net, centered a pass for Murray in the right circle and he beat Lundqvist to pull Boston even, 1-1.
The next two belonged to New York, however. Defenseman Jiri Slegr went off for hooking at 5:54 and the Rangers converted on the man-advantage only 22 seconds later. Jagr's wrister from the right circle sneaked under the arm of Toivonen to make it 2-1 at 6:16.
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