Monday's loss to the Stars was the Bruins' sixth in this season's seven games decided during the 3-on-3 portion of overtime.
BOSTON – As they pile up point after point in game after game, it becomes increasingly difficult for the Bruins to pick out significant areas of concern. They’re not impossible to find, though.
The Bruins have gone to extra time 12 times in 42 games through Monday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Stars at TD Garden. The B’s are pretty good if they can reach a shootout (3-2), but they don’t survive that long as often as they’d like: They’re now 1-6 in games decided during the 3-on-3 portion of overtime.
“It seems like we don’t have the puck a lot,” said Ryan Spooner, one of two B’s forwards who sprawled in vain to keep former Bruin Tyler Seguin from beating Anton Khudobin for Monday’s winner. “Maybe we just have to try to have the puck a little more.”
Coach Bruce Cassidy, who was forced to get creative with his three-man groups when skilled players like Spooner, Brad Marchand and David Krejci were injured early in the season, has recently taken to tinkering with pairs established during the Bruins’ current 9-0-4 streak – which began, in fact, with an OT loss to the Rangers on Dec. 16.
The Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Torey Krug unit has stayed intact, but forwards Krejci and David Pastrnak have been separated for the last two games. (The B’s beat the Canadiens in a shootout on Saturday, 4-3.) Krejci and rookies Jake DeBrusk and Charlie McAvoy have formed a second group, with Spooner, Pastrnak and rookie defenseman Matt Grzelcyk forming a third. That group was on the ice for Seguin’s winner, which came after the Stars got an extra skater on the ice during a delayed penalty against Grzelcyk.
“Me, (Marchand and Bergeron) are probably the only consistent group that has been together for the last couple years,” Krug said. “Then you have a couple rookies playing, who might not be as used to 3-on-3, and they’re getting their feet wet … but you would think that with all the firepower we have, we’d be able to come out on top a little bit more.”
Cassidy doesn’t get it, either.
“For the talent we have, it’s the one thing that – I won’t say it’s frustrating, but we don’t have a good, firm answer for why in all the overtimes, we’ve only got one goal,” the coach said. “I assumed we’d score more in overtime.”
Hitchcock presents: B’s winger David Backes wasn’t surprised to see that the Stars, who missed the playoffs last season, have become a much tougher opponent. The Stars are now coached by Ken Hitchcock, who was Backes’ coach with the Blues from 2011-12 through 2015-16.
“They’ve seem to have vastly improved from last year with their structure and their compete level and their ability to get in your face and create turnovers,” said Backes, who was a captain under Hitchcock with the Blues. “With Hitch as their coach, you wouldn’t expect anything less. They weren’t giving us much.”
Hitchcock began his career as an NHL coach with the Stars (1995-96 into 2001-02), whom he led to the franchise’s only Stanley Cup in 1998-99). He coached the Flyers, Blue Jackets and Blues before returning to the Stars this season, replacing Lindy Ruff.
Around the boards: Monday’s loss left the Minnesota/Dallas Stars as the lone established franchise the B’s have never defeated in extra time (0-4-8). The Bruins have only played the expansion Vegas Golden Knights twice, both games ending in regulation. … Zdeno Chara’s second-period goal, his fourth of the season and first since Dec. 4 at Nashville (16 games), gave him a point for the third straight game – his longest such streak this season. He had gone eight games without a point before the current run. … Spooner, who scored only one goal in his first 16 games this season, scored his fourth goal in the last seven. … Winger Frank Vatrano and defenseman Paul Postma were the Bruins’ official healthy scratches. Defenseman Adam McQuaid (broken right fibula, Oct. 19) remains on Injured Reserve, but has been cleared to play.