At times the Boston Bruins found themselves playing down to their competition. Tuesday’s contest against the Red Wings provided another example of that development.
Without David Pastrnak and Trent Frederic, a handful of troubling trends haunted the Bruins even after holding a 2-0 first period lead on Erik Haula’s 13th goal of the season and Brandon Carlo’s shorthanded marker.
Boston’s power play sputtered for the second time in as many nights. Jeremy Swayman encountered another rough outing amid one of the toughest stretches of his rookie campaign. The issues surrounding the revolving door on the third defensive pair continued, this time with Mike Reilly and Derek Forbort.