Bruins are confident that they can restore the flow that is missing from their game

‘Well, we’ll figure it out together. That’s the only way,” said David Pastrnak, who assisted on both Boston goals. “Again, pulling together as a group and finding a way to win games against the good teams.

“And so sometimes you get to know each other, you know what to expect, and we just have to get on a winning streak and compete. The level of competition must be much higher. Details. That’s going to get us out of there.”

The Bruins, which grew bigger in the offseasonalso seem to have slowed down a bit. Carolina’s constant puck pressure left them uncomfortable and unable to string passes together.

The Bruins were rushed and harassed in all three zones. They couldn’t match Carolina and were forced to engage in illegal activities – three major penalties and two penalties for interference – to try to stem the bleeding. That almost always backfires, and so did Rod Brind’Amour’s side, who scored three demoralizing power-play goals.

As of Friday, the Bruins led the NHL with 134 penalty minutes.

“Definitely our feet are moving,” Pastrnak said when asked how the Bruins can stay out of the box. “There’s a lot of stick penalties, high stick penalties, so that’s one. But to be honest, we just weren’t good enough five-on-five in this game. They were all over us and we have to be better.”

When a team is forced to spend an exorbitant amount of time killing penalties, it cannot establish flow, and in the case of the Bruins, it has their most creative offensive player – Pastrnak – who spends too much time looking and not enough time skating. .

The Bruins, who are consistently among the league’s elite penalty-killing teams, crush opponents with a man advantage of just 76 percent.

Coach Jim Montgomery gave his lines a complete makeover for the game against Carolina, but due to special teams situations, none of them were able to form chemistry or generate chances.

Tinkering with lines is usually done to generate a spark. It could also have the opposite effect, although Bruins players rejected the idea that the juggle has damaged their confidence.

“I mean, Monty is just starting to get us going, so obviously it didn’t work,” Pastrnak said. “So the mixing lines have to happen. So personally I don’t have a problem with it. I can read to anyone.

“It’s exactly like I said: it’s not about a combination now. We’re not good enough as a team, and that’s where it starts.”

Trent Frederic agreed.

“I think we’re used to it,” he said. “I think this is something they’ve been doing with Monty for three years. I don’t think it’s anything really crazy. I don’t think that’s the reason or anything like that. I think it just comes down to individuals and playing as a team.

Under Montgomery, the Bruins have gotten off to excellent starts over the past two seasons, so this uninspired start is uncharted territory.

Montgomery said it’s not like guys are just waiting for the magic to happen.

“I look at it a little differently,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of success the last two years and the last two years we were ranked first in the league at Thanksgiving. We never achieved anything we wanted to achieve.

“We are not happy at the moment. Nobody’s happy with what’s going on, but we’ll figure it out, and we’ll be better, and hopefully this will make for a better result come playoff time.”

Pastrnak also preached patience

“It’s definitely something new,” he said. “Usually we have a good start, but to be honest it’s very early. So it’s good.

“We need to come together, join forces, learn, and the only way we can get there is together and by competing. So we have two games in two days. That’s a perfect way to get back on the winning track.”

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Jim McBride can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @globejimmcbride.