Bruins step up their pace in practice after three straight losses

Boston goaltender Jeremy Swayman (right) reacts after Dallas center Logan Stankoven celebrates his goal in a 5-2 win over the Bruins on Thursday night. Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald

The scene at the start of practice at Warrior Ice Arena on Friday after the Bruins’ third straight loss was a bit unusual.

The first people on the ice were five coaches who casually skated around for about five minutes, tossing pucks into the net while the players stayed out of sight. Considering the situation the team was in (3-4-1 and not playing like a playoff team, let alone a Stanley Cup contender), it had all the makings of the old reliable “players-only” meeting.

Captain Brad Marchand said that didn’t happen, saying they had a routine meeting with NHL security, among other things.

“No, we had a lot of work to do,” Marchand said.

Okay, okay. But once the players hit the ice, the practice was full of energy, strength and physicality; It was the kind of session you hope for after three error-filled defeats.

“I think we had a really good practice. Our biggest thing is our details and we focused on that today,” Marchand said. “We tried to be smart with the way we played the puck and the way we worked. We did a really good job today, with a really good pace. The guys were focused and sharp, so it was a good day. But it’s one day at a time and we have to build on it and get better day by day, and we need that consistency.”

The level of chatter on the ice has risen noticeably, and Marchand said that’s no coincidence.

“This is something we’ve been talking about for a while,” the captain said. “The more you can communicate about breaks and pre-checks, the easier you will make this for each other. Part of having a lot of new guys two years in a row is rebuilding that chemistry, and the more you talk, the easier it becomes. This is definitely something we talked about not only today but also in the days before. Again, this is something you do every day and it becomes a habit. The more you do this, the better you will be saved.

Coach Jim Montgomery was more concerned with the overall energy level than communication.

“I think part of the Bruins culture is that we communicate from the top down and the bottom up,” Montgomery said. “I think the level of energy we’ve been missing in training and games is something we’ve talked about and it’s good to see the players have a bit more energy, a bit of a smile on their face and they’re enjoying scoring goals in training and making big saves.”

The Bruins came home in the early morning hours of Wednesday after a three-game road trip and bounced right back with Thursday’s loss to the Dallas Stars. In sports science terms these days, Friday would have been Marchand’s day to keep his 36-year-old body off the ice. But some situations dictate another course of action.

“When things don’t go your way, the only way to get out of it is to work. You have to do this together as a group,” Marchand said. “When you’re missing your guys, sometimes it can be a little harder to build the chemistry that you need and get everyone to get through it together. When you’re going through adversity, you want to get through it as a group and come out as a group. It’s great to be there working on it as a team. That’s how you bond. When you’re going through tough times, that’s what it’s like.” Character emerges in your group. We are seeing this right now. There was energy in the guys today, I liked our attitude. But I say again, it is something to build on, not just one day.”

His physicality was also remarkable. At one point, Marchand and Charlie McAvoy had a vicious, fast-paced two-on-two collision. It’s part of the job.

“It’s part of your job to be prepared when you go out to practice and don’t mess around,” Marchand said. “We will compete, we will be physical and we will play hard. You have to be ready to hit and be hit. That’s why I think the man who received the blow has as much responsibility as the man who struck the blow. You’re not trying to attack guys’ heads or knees, but part of playing detail and playing our game is being physical. “This starts with practice.”

What’s bothering the Bruins right now is more macro than micro. Even a single line change won’t fix them. But Montgomery had an interesting setting; Matt Poitras would play on the right wing with Marchand and Charlie Coyle. What can he bring to the line?

“His patience and the way he makes plays,” Marchand said. “He’s after the puck. (Thursday) night was a great example of that. He’s been performing very well lately, collecting pucks and making good second and third moves. “I think this could complement our line really well.”

We’ll see if it works. There isn’t much going on in this young season. The opponent on Saturday night was the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team that has tended to cure many of the Bruins’ ills over the last decade. But there are only so many Game 7 losses a team can take before calling it enough. The Leafs should be ready to play. The Bruins better be too.

NOTES: Searching for the right line combinations, Montgomery eventually opted to break the so-called fourth line and moved Cole Koepke to the Charlie Coyle-Trent Frederic line. Justin Brazeau stepped in again, along with Mark Kastelic and John Beecher. “It is difficult, but sometimes even different dynamics are required. This line plays extremely well. We’ll leave them together and bring someone else with them, then Koepke can step up on another line,” Montgomery said. … In a somewhat expected move, the Bruins placed Riley Tufte on waivers. Whether he’s cleared or not, Tufte’s $775,000 salary cap hit should be enough for the Bruins to sign veteran Tyler Johnson, who has remained with the Bruins since arriving in camp on a tryout contract.

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