The table was set for celebration on Tuesday night at the Garden, but the Bruins didn’t show up for dinner.
With the Tampa Bay Lightning beating the Carolina Hurricanes, the B’s had a chance to clinch the Presidents’ Trophy while simultaneously recording a Bruins’ record for wins in a season. But the B’s shot blanks all night and absorbed just their fourth regulation loss at home, a 2-1 decision to the Nashville Predators.
Cody Glass scored late in the second period and it held up until old friend Jeremy Lauzon scored an empty-netter.
David Pastrnak scored with less than a second left, but the B’s would have to wait another night to clinch the inevitable.
The two teams played a messy, scoreless first period in which neither team could cash in on multiple power play opportunities. The Preds had a 30-second 5-on-3 that they did nothing with while the B’s went went 0-for-3 on their chances. The B’s best chance came on the penalty kill when Brandon Carlo tried to chip home a Tomas Nosek pass. At first glance it looked like it may have crossed the line but video review revealed that it was not a good goal. Nashville wing Luke Evangelista pulled the puck off the goal line before it completely crossed.
The power play woes continued in the second period, which was no more aesthetically pleasing the first period. The B’s had two more chances in the second but did not get a shot on net on either man advantage, although there was actually some decent zone time and puck movement on the second one.
Finally, late in the second period, the Preds scored the first goal of the game. Hampus Lindholm blocked a Ryan McDonagh shot/pass in the slot but could not located before Cody Glass,who snapped a quick shot that beat Linus Ullmark over the blocker with 1:49 left in the period.
That put the B’s on the chase for the third period against one of the league’s better goalies in Juuse Saros.
Coach Jim Montgomery flipped Jake DeBrusk and David Pastrnak and the B’s started to play more in the offensive zone. Trent Frederic set up Lindholm for a great chance in the slot but Saros smothered the defenseman’s backhander.
The B’s outshot the Preds 17-4 in the third, but couldn’t beat Saros until it was too late.