MONTREAL – The Boston Bruins aren’t hitting the panic button just yet.
Six games into the 2014-15 National Hockey League season, Boston is off to a rocky start. Following a 6-4 road loss versus the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night, the Bruins have a 2-4 record and are 11th in the Eastern Conference.
Last year’s President’s Trophy winners have conceded 17 goals in their first six games for a minus-6 goal differential.
"There’s nothing alarming, but we have to be a lot better defensively than we’ve been," said head coach Claude Julien after the loss in Montreal. "It’s not like we have a bunch of new guys who don’t know how to play.
"We have to be a little more committed to play good defence."
Boston’s lineup against the Habs on Thursday was almost identical to the team that lost to the Canadiens in seven games in last year’s playoffs. Fifteen of 19 players who were on the ice last May in Game 7 of the second round of the post-season dressed for the Bruins in Montreal’s home opener on Thursday.
Notable absentees were Jarome Iginla, who signed as a free agent with the Colorado Avalanche during the summer, and Johnny Boychuk, who was traded to the New York Islanders.
In their stead, Chris Kelly (back) and Dennis Seidenberg (knee) returned from their respective injuries after missing last year’s post-season.
The only other changes to Boston’s lineup have been the additions of Simon Gagne, who signed a one-year contract with the Bruins earlier this week, and rookie forward Seth Griffith, who was just recalled from Providence.
Gagne was on the score sheet on Thursday, registering his first goal in just his second game with the Bruins. The veteran forward, who sat out last season, gave Boston a glimmer of hope with a goal late in the third period.
"He had a good game," said Julien of the 34 year old from Sainte-Foy, Que. "He played well yesterday, and he scored a goal tonight. We’re happy with what he’s bringing so far."
It was too little too late for Boston, which gave up a number of cheap goals to the Canadiens on bad bounces. The Bruins’ defence was shoddy and unconvincing throughout much of the night.
In the first period, Montreal’s David Desharnais split defenders Adam McQuaid and Zdeno Chara at the blue-line to put the Canadiens on the board. In the second, Boston couldn’t clear its crease before Brendan Gallagher poked home his second of the season. Later in the same period, three Bruins players scrambled to clear a deflected shot from the point, but Canadiens youngster Jiri Sekac found the puck and fired home his first NHL goal.
"Mentally, we’re not as sharp as we normally are," said defender Torey Krug. "We just have to sharpen up. We’re losing more than we’re winning, so it’s not good so far. Our game is coming along — we’re working, we’re focused.
"It’s just a matter of time for things to start going our way."
After winning their opening game of the season against the Philadelphia Flyers, the Bruins have since lost one-goal games against the Detroit Red Wings and Avalanche. Julien’s men were also thumped 4-0 by the Washington Capitals last week.
"We’re trying to do a little too much," said Boston’s head coach. "We’re not focused enough. We have to fix those things. We have to clean up our end a little more.
"Our team is getting better. We just have to clean up some of our mistakes. But the effort has been there the last couple of nights. Those are encouraging signs for us."
The team was playing its second game in two nights, after beating the Red Wings in Detroit in a shootout on Wednesday. By the time Boston landed in Montreal, it was well past midnight.
"You never want to use that as an excuse, but going to bed at 4 a.m. is never easy," said Gagne. "It happens to everyone — it’s part of the regular season calendar."
Gagne also expressed some frustration at having to play games against the Canadiens this season on little rest, with all four coming on the second night of a back-to-back.
"You’d rather play them when you’re fresh, sure," said the long-time Flyer. "It’s part of the calendar this year. You just have to live with them. They’re in our division, and those are some big points up for grabs. We have to find a way to play better against the Canadiens in back-to-backs."
Notes: To get Montreal’s home opener underway, Canadiens legend Ken Dryden handed a torch to Carey Price. … Montreal conceded the first goal for the fourth time in five games this year. … The Habs scored their first power-play goal of the season after going 0-for-14 to start the year. It was Montreal’s first regular-season goal with the man advantage since March 24. … Sekac’s father watched from the stands as his son tallied his first NHL marker.
