Milan Lucic's Postgame Victory Lap The High Point Of Bruins' Ugly 9-2 Loss To Kings
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Boston Bruins' struggles at the TD Garden reached ghastly new lows Tuesday night, as the Black & Gold dropped a 9-2 decision to the Los Angeles Kings in Milan Lucic's first game at the Garden since being traded to L.A. The in-game highlights were few and far between for the Bruins, but after the game Lucic circled the rink and waved to whatever Boston fans remained in the building.
It was the high point of an otherwise grotesque affair for the Bruins. They allowed a season-high 57 shots on goal, the most since a 10-3 loss at the Detroit Red Wings on March 18, 1965. Gordie Howe played in that game. Without a helmet.
The Kings' goals happened for a variety of reasons, but they were mostly a product of Los Angeles winning loose puck battles down low and taking advantage of turnovers and sloppy defensive coverage by the Bruins. Kevan Miller made an egregious giveaway to the Kings' Andy Andreoff, who snapped it point-blank past Tuukka Rask to begin the burial process in a second period that ranks among the Bruins' most unsightly in recent memory.
When the final horn mercifully sounded, Lucic, who contributed a goal and assist to the pummelling, took to the ice to acknowledge the faithful who endured the full 60-minute beatdown. He claimed after the game that it was a spontaneous decision to wave to the fans.
"I didn't have it planned," he told reporters after the game. "A couple of teammates told me to go out and do it. I just remembered being back in Calgary when [Jarome Iginla] did it. So I felt like doing it."
Much like they have done for other returning former Bruins heroes, the team played a video montage of the many memorable moments Lucic played a part in during his time with the team. Kings head coach Darryl Sutter was not surprised at the adulation Lucic still gets from the Boston crowd.
"He's a Boston-type player," Sutter said of Lucic. "The fans love him and he won a championship here. That type of player that fits in with the crowd always is well-respected."
It was a fun night for the Kings. The Bruins? There are not enough adjectives to describe that hideous effort.
"I feel like we got absolutely embarrassed," Chara said. "Obviously, they played a really good game, but we had nowhere near the game that we needed to play and it was embarrassing."
Marchand and Rask joined Chara in describing the loss as "embarrassing." Rask also went with "unacceptable," as did David Krejci.
Bruins center Patrice Bergeron was quick to adopt a Bill Belichick-like "On to Cincinnati" mentality, acknowledging that this kind of loss can serve as a turning point to decide how the team plays for the rest of the season. After this game, they probably can't get much worse.
"We really need to have our heads up tomorrow and be back at it," Bergeron said after the game, "because that's the only way we can get out of this."
As unbearable as that debacle was for Bruins fans, the team's next game Thursday night at the Winnipeg Jets will say a lot about the team's character and makeup. Considering the unflappable resilience that they have shown in the past, expect a strong response.
But there's no denying that Lucic's return to the Garden in a span of just a few hours went from a hero's welcome to a village massacre.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
