The Bruins Continue To Get Hosed By The Officiating But My God Are They Infuriating

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Despite coming out of the gate hot with 2 goals in the 1st, the Bruins once again found themselves playing the majority of the final two periods of a not-a-must-win-but-can't-lose Game 4 in their own zone, killing penalties and failing to generate any sort of offense whatsoever. Sound familiar? 

We had this lovely angle of Bennett sucker punching Marchand in their collision, to which RA was all over, no clue how this angle didn't exist until 30 minutes before the game. Bennett received no supplemental discipline, and you would think Boston would use this motivation of their captain being out, likely for the entire series, right? right? Well sort of.

Charlie McAvoy set the tone by popping Sam Reinhart on the opening face. David Pastrnak opened the scoring on the power play after a big penalty kill prior. Brandon Carlo extended the lead late in the 1st. Pat Maroon was challenging everyone and anyone. And then it was back to the Bad News Bears…

Florida once again titled the ice in the second, finally breaking through on an Anton Lundell shot.

Hampus Lindholm took an interference penalty on away from the puck, which included a nice sell job from OEL. Public Enemy No. 1 Sam Bennett cross checked Charlie Coyle into Jeremy Swayman to bury the loose puck to tie the game on the PPG. Boston challenged for the obvious goaltender interference, but the challenge was unsuccessful. Boston went BACK to the PK for an unsuccessful challenge to boot.

Pretty clear as day that Bennett knocks Coyle into Swayman and Swayman can't push to get over. A couple of weeks ago this goal was called back for Tampa for goalie interference. No one knows what it is anymore. Spin the wheel.

Just an incredible stretch of penalties for the B's.

3 minutes after Bennett tied the game Sasha Barkov went through 3 B's players all on his own to give the Panthers the lead, the game, and a commanding 3-1 series lead.

As much as the officiating has been absolute dogshit, you cannot blame the refs for why the B's are in a 3-1 hole. Florida is the deeper and better team, and while Boston hasn't had anything go their way you just won't win many hockey games when you take a billion penalties, and cannot generate any offense whatsoever on a goaltender who has a .892 SV%. It's insane. And I know guys are banged up, you play through a lot, it's playoff hockey but at the end of the day it seems like they have no fight left in them. Eight shot attempts and 2 shots on goal in the 3rd, is fucking horrible. I guess that's what happens when you have 8 minutes of killing penalties.

For three straight games it's been like this for Boston, after Game 2 with Tkachuk and Pastrnak going at it you would've thought they would have gotten a jump and responded. Nope. After Game 3 when your Captain gets knocked out of the series after a sucker punch, you would've thought they would've responded. Nope.

The Bruins have no one to blame but themselves. Their only win of the series you saw them come together, generate offense, have secondary scoring, solid defense and great goaltending. They are only getting one of those on a nightly basis and it's coming from the crease. I know on paper this team doesn't stack up against Florida's, but it's the lack of fight and urgency that's most disappointing. Bruins had a late game power play with an opportunity to tie that generated nothing.

It is objectively funny that Dreger had this tweet sent out before Game 3 that both clubs were told the series would be heavily scrutinized after the Pasta/Tkachuk fight.

I would've loved to see Jim Montgomery rip into the officiating after the game and take the fine. But he chose to be Switzerland. Boston fans would've started a GoFundMe immediately to pay for it. 

I'm still thinking about this DeBrusk chance that went just wide that would've made it 3-1 Boston. Man.

The Bruins find themselves at the brink of elimination. Back to Florida Tuesday night. Will they roll over and die or fight for another day? The statistics are against them, they are 0-25 lifetime when facing a deficit of 3-1 in a series. But hey, Florida came back last year against them, and the Bruins have the opportunity to do the funniest thing ever.

Shall we choose delusion and…. Believe?

General Manager Don Sweeney will meet with the media at noon before the team jets off to Sunrise, which is uncharacteristic for him to speak mid-series. We'll see!