Currently, the Boston Bruins are standing in 5th position in the Atlantic Division of the NHL. They have played 53 games, out of which they have only won 25 games, suffered 22 losses, and 6 overtime losses, resulting in them having 56 points. Indeed, the Stanley Cup playoffs dream for this team is slipping away recently, as they are on a two-game losing streak.

No team chasing the playoff spot should be in such a position, but something for the Bruins isn’t just working. Indeed, this has left many players of the team frustrated, including their captain Brad Marchand, whose actions on the ice recently have been questioned by the NHL community. However, following the game against the Winnipeg Jets, coach Joe Sacco came up with a defense for the Bruins’ captain after his multiple penalties on the rink.

Joe Sacco can’t leave Brad Marchand behind

Ice hockey is a team game. And performances of a single member can indeed affect the results, especially when it comes to the captain. Brad Marchand has been with the Boston Bruins for a long time, and when he became the captain during the 2023-24 season, he had a ton of responsibilities on his shoulders. Now, with the team not performing as their fans are expecting and being out of playoff contention for the time being, the way Marchand has been behaving on the ice has been a questionable discussion for many in the community.

But what happened during the Bruins’ match against the Jets? The TD Garden crowd wanted to see the Bruins secure a victory, but from the start of the game, opportunities slipped away, and even if there was a comeback from the home team during the first minutes of the third period, afterward they got absolutely obliterated by the Jets, as the final score was 2-6. Indeed, this massive loss followed their loss to the Sabres (2-7) a few days ago, and the fans were disappointed.

During the Jets’ match, Marchand received not one, but two minor penalties and a misconduct in the third period that put him out of the ice for 10 minutes. This was noticed by everyone, and during the post-game interview when coach Joe Sacco was asked about it, he defended the Bruins’ captain, stating, “Well, I think he’s just trying to impact the game right physically and just, you know, the timing of it. Towards the end of the period, you don’t want to go in the box in that situation, right? It’s a tight hockey game. But you know he’s trying to impact the game physically and be hard and show that you know we want to be invested in the game physically, and you know, it just didn’t, unfortunately, the penalty was what it is.”

It’s not like Sacco fully agreed to the actions that Marchand showed on the rink, but during heated hockey games, things happen. The coach acknowledged the captain’s aggressive play, noting that it had an impact and that mind games are common on the rink. Furthermore, he also appreciated the Bruins’ comeback during the third period but also mentioned the details during the end of the match, stating, “But I mean, you know, you look at the game, we come out to start the third period of that kill, we tie it up, we get a short-handed goal, right? And then, um, you know, for 41 minutes or so, I thought we played okay. We gave up some opportunities, but we had some opportunities too, and then you know for us to just—it’s frustrating because we make it 2-2, they come down, okay, so they score in the power play, it’s 3-2, that happens, but—and we gifted them the fourth goal.”

The team was doing well when the score was 2-2 at the start of the third period. However, as per Sacco, after the third goal by the Jets’ Mark Scheifele, things started to crumble down for the Bruins, as they got obliterated afterward. The third period was also the part of the game where Marchand received a 10-minute for misconduct. Certainly, frustration was clear with the captain, as he went off the ice when the Bruins were down 2-5. This is the second time consecutively that the team has lost in a major way, as after their game against the Sabres a few days ago, Marchand did share his frustration during the post-game interview.

Boston Bruins captain’s frustration is getting to him

“You know it is what it is can’t change it,” said Brad Marchand when asked about the multiple penalties during the game against the Jets. A frustrated reaction indeed, as it’s no different than what he said after the game against the Buffalo Sabres. “Yeah, we’re obviously desperate right now, and we can’t afford to have games like this where we’re not prepared,” said the Bruins’ captain, as he knew the importance of these games prior to the playoffs.

Indeed, Marchand feels responsible for these losses as he’s the captain of the team. However, something isn’t connecting between the current Bruins lineup, causing the losses. But why is there such a high level of frustration? They lost to the Sabres, who were at the bottom of the Atlantic Division, and he knows that they, as a team, can’t afford such games if they want to make it to the spot they are aiming for.

Every game from now on for the Bruins will be stepping stone for their playoff dream. However, with the losing streak, their next game against the New York Rangers will be a test. Indeed, the fans and the players will be looking forward to a victory, as it will not only end their losing streak, but also give them crucial points for the playoffs.