There are many reasons why a team’s offense can dry up in the playoffs.
The quality of competition obviously increases, defenses tighten up, and injuries certainly play their part in slowing down top players. However, a little hindsight shows that the Bruins’ offensive woes against the Lightning may be indicative of larger problem.
Taking a look back at these playoffs clearly paints a troubling picture. In 13 games (including the round robin), the Bruins scored 17 goals at 5 on 5 while giving up 29 to their opponents. Against Tampa Bay, the B’s only managed 7 goals 5v5 in their 6 meetings (again, including the round robin match-up), while Tampa blistered the Bruins for 16 goals.