Marco Sturm Sends Bruins Clear Message After Defensive Collapse originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Marco Sturm isn’t interested in seeing the Boston Bruins make a habit of giving up goals at the rate they did Thursday night.
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Boston surrendered five goals in a 5-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens at TD Garden, putting an end to its four-game winning streak. The defensive breakdowns were particularly concerning for Sturm, who wants the Bruins to reestablish the identity that has helped them find success this season.
“We’ve got to go back to playing good defense again. Having five goals against 5-on-5 – that’s not us. Not at all,” Sturm said. “We can’t afford that against one of the hottest teams in the league. That’s our game, anyway: playing good defense and then move from there.”
The Bruins will have a difficult test in trying to put that performance behind them. Minnesota visits TD Garden on Saturday after scoring five goals of its own in a win over Toronto. The Wild have won four of their last five games.
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Sturm is also making a change to Boston’s defensive lineup. Connor Clifton will skate alongside Frederic Brunet on the third pairing, with Mason Lohrei coming out of the lineup for the first time this season.
The adjustment gives Brunet an experienced partner who can bring a physical presence to the blue line. Clifton has appeared in seven games this season, recording one assist while averaging 19:43 of ice time.
Sturm hopes the new combination can help Boston spend less time defending in its own zone.
“I think, hopefully, with a righty and a lefty, also with a little bit of experience with Cliffy coming in, helping out Brunet a little bit,” Sturm said. “I think that’s what we’re looking for – to have it a little bit cleaner, I would say, and limit the D-zone time.”
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Boston will need a much more disciplined defensive performance against Minnesota, especially against an offense that can capitalize on mistakes. The Bruins have an opportunity to respond on home ice, but Sturm’s message is clear: getting back to their defensive foundation has to come first.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
