After failing to extend their winning streak to three games during Saturday's home loss to the Washington Capitals, the Boston Bruins were looking to bounce back on Sunday afternoon when they took to the ice of the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh for a match-up with the Penguins.
Unfortunately for the throngs of Black and Gold supporters across New England, the B's simply didn't bring their "A" game on Sunday afternoon, in a 5-2 defeat at the hands of the Penguins.
Finding themselves down three goals after a dismal first period effort, the Bruins had put themselves in an early hole for the fifth consecutive contest. It started early when Aaron Asham pushed one past Tim Thomas after deflecting a Ben Lovejoy point shot. Less than four minutes later, a Matt Niskanen slapshot found it's way through a screen and into the Boston net to put Pittsburgh up 2-0. Near the end of the frame James Neal picked up his 31st of the year near the tail-end of a 5-on-3 power-play when he fired a wrist shot through Tim Thomas' five-hole.
The B's would re-capture a bit of the momentum after Claude Julien opted to give Marty Turco a chance to make his debut in a Bruins sweater. Less than two minutes into the second frame, David Krejci beat Marc-Andre Fleury upstairs on a breakaway to cut the lead to 3-1.
Pittsburgh bounced right back less than two and a half minutes later, when another defensive zone breakdown by the Bruins would lead to Chris Kunitz' 20th tally of the campaign.
Just past the mid-point of the game, David Krejci collected his second of the game and his 20th of the season after a beautiful display of size, speed and strength from Milan Lucic resulted in number 46 finding himself wide open in the Pittsburgh crease.
The Pens would add an insurance goal late in the third when Pascal Dupuis beat Turco on a breakaway with a sweet move to the back-hand.
Boston will be back at it again on Tuesday when they visit Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.