The Bruins lost in a frustrating fashion for the second time in as many nights on Tuesday, falling 3-2 against the Ottawa Senators.

Senators goalie Craig Anderson stole the show in Boston and handed Ottawa the victory, making 34 saves on 36 shots. In a post-game interview with reporters, Bruins interim head coach Bruce Cassidy said that Anderson was “tremendous” and that he was the reason why Ottawa won the game.

The Bruins goal scorers were forward David Krejci and defenseman Torey Krug, both goals tied the game. Krejci’s goal occurred at 8:57 of the first, and Krug’s strike was just at 17 seconds of the third period.

The Bruins, who seemed to have chance after chance until the final buzzer, were unable to tie Ottawa for a third time as the Senators took a 3-2 lead with 15:56 to go in the third period behind forward Kyle Turris’ second goal of the game and 25th of the season, tipping the puck past goalie Tuukka Rask off a shot from defenseman and agitator Dion Phaneuf.

Tom Pyatt tipped home his eighth goal of the season to open the scoring in this one and was the only other Senator to score.  

The high-intensity of the action made it feel like it was a playoff game. The flow of the game was fast-paced with hard hits. Both teams needed a victory to better their chances at playing extra hockey in April. The intensity could be felt even after the final buzzer as tempers flared due to obvious Bruins frustration with the outcome.

As a result of the recent skid, questions are arising to whether or not the Bruins will face yet another late-season collapse, going back to last season’s flop in the late stages of March and April. When asked about this, Bruce Cassidy said that,  “Every team has their own story… We’d like to write our own story,” to CSNNE.

Krug also faced a similar question, telling NESN that, “This is a different feeling [than last year]. We won’t let that happen.”

Three games prior, the Bruins had 82 points and were in control of their playoff positioning. Three games later, they still sit in the NHL at 82 points and give destiny to the Toronto Maple Leafs for the third seed in the Atlantic division, which would guarantee them a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Maple Leafs have a golden chance at leaping the Bruins for this spot, as they are just one point back with two more games to play than Boston.

With nine games remaining in the regular season, there is not much more room for error. With teams like the Maple Leafs in the division and wild-card hopefuls, such as the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning, breathing down their necks, it is imperative the Bruins get back to their winning ways under Cassidy. With upcoming games against teams that will be fighting to get into the playoffs, the Bruins cannot afford to extend their losing streak.
The Bruins look to get off the late season skid against the Tampa Bay Lightning at the TD Garden on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. It will prove to be a must win for the Black-and-Gold, again.