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By Mike Loftus
The Patriot LedgerBOSTON —
If it’s remembered and discussed today solely for things like coach Claude Julien getting ejected, Zdeno Chara spending 17 consecutive minutes in the penalty box after instigating a fight, and goalie Tuukka Rask skating the length of the ice to challenge Carolina goalie Cam Ward, the point has been missed.
Last night’s 4-1 loss to the Hurricanes was really more a case of the Bruins turning from a team off to a poor start to one that made itself look bad.
“We have to take responsibility for our own actions here,” said Julien, who was at first mystified, then infuriated when he learned he’d been assessed a 10-minute misconduct with just 3:44 remaining.
“What I see is frustration setting in, and the minute we start getting frustrated we lose focus on our game, and then it gets worse and worse. And that’s been a bit of a pattern this year.”
True enough, but the 2-4-0 Bruins had never reacted as they did last night – and their worst behavior was saved for the worst possible time. Although outplayed well into the third period, they cut Carolina’s lead to 2-1 when Rich Peverley scored a power-play goal with 9:01 to play – and then went on to spend most of the time left trying, often unsuccessfully, to kill unnecessary or retaliatory penalties.
“We stuck up for each other; that’s important,” Peverley said. “But at the end of the day we lost the game, and we’re 2-4.”
The Hurricanes iced their second win over the B’s in less than a week with a pair of 5-on-3 goals at 13:26 and 14:58.
The key penalties went against winger Nathan Horton, just 31 seconds after Peverley scored. Angered, as linemate Milan Lucic had been earlier and would be again, by Hurricanes defenseman Jeff Gleason, Horton took four minutes worth of roughing penalties. Chara followed with a high-sticking penalty on Jeff Skinner, and Dennis Seidenberg then ensured that Boston would remain two men short by taking a boarding penalty.
On or around the same time, Brad Marchand (11:49), Lucic (16:16, after an unsuccessful attempt to get Gleason to fight) and then Julien were assessed misconducts.
“When they announced the misconduct on Lucic, I just shook my head,” Julien said. “I guess that was the merit for being kicked out.”
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