Despite loss, Bruins end power play goal drought

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BOSTON -- In the Bruins' eyes, following Tuesday night's 4-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, Rich Peverley's power play goal in the third period doesn't mean anything.

Peverley said just as much.

There weren't many questions regarding the Bruins' power play on a night in which they racked up a total of 72 penalty minutes. But the few that were asked got the same answer: "It doesn't matter now."

What the Bruins wouldn't tell you on Tuesday night, was that, at the time, Peverley's power play goal did matter. If not for the timeliness of his wrister from the high slot that sniped the top-right corner that cut Carolina's lead to 2-1 midway through the third period, then for the fact that it snapped an 0-for-22 drought on the power play.

The Bruins are now 2-for-24 on the power play this season, a part of their game that was downright brutal last year.

Things looked promising in the season opener, when the B's scored on their first power-play attempt. Since then, and through the first two periods on Tuesday night, the same problems lingered on the man advantage.

Until Peverley made it 2-1, just 28 seconds into the Bruins' fourth power play of the game.

"It's good that we got one on the power play, but it doesn't matter now, because we lost the game," said a dejected Peverley after the loss. "We lost the game. That's the most important thing."

In fairness to Boston's prior three power plays of the night, Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward stood on his head. And as the phrase goes, your goaltender is your best penalty killer.

"I thought that Cam Ward was the difference in that game," said Carolina coach Paul Maurice. "They came out really strong, and he made some really good saves, and then he made some saves that may not show up. You've got to watch it on video to appreciate how good they were."

"I think we had our chances," said Peverley. "We had a ton of chances. You've got to give credit to Cam Ward. He played unbelievable. So, on our part, we have to do a better job of finding ways to put the puck in the net against him. So that seems it was the way the game went in the first couple periods."

Ward was having "one of those nights." Yet, Peverley was able to make it a one-goal game. That was important, at the time. And even if the B's want to downplay the significance of snapping that 0-for-22 power-play drought on Tuesday night. They may be singing a different tune on Wednesday.

Because in the grand scheme of things, it did matter.

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