“Well, this is devastating. The way we’re losing these games, it’s killing us,” said Charlie McAvoy. “We’re fighting so hard, and we just can’t stop beating ourselves. So, it’s pretty defeating right today.”
The Bruins held leads of 1-0 and 2-1 but found themselves down, 5-3, midway through the third before pushing back and tying the game on back-to-back goals from David Pastrnak (on the power play) and Morgan Geekie.
Just 30 seconds after Geekie’s strike — his second of the game — and with the Garden crowd buzzing as it braced for a streak-busting outcome, the Ducks silenced them.
Troy Terry took a pass from an unchecked Nikita Nesterenko and roofed one over a sprawling Joonas Korpisalo to let the air out of the building.
Mikael Granlund’s empty-netter — his second goal and fifth point of the night — sealed it.
It was clear there was confusion on the winner between Bruin defenders Mason Lohrei, who could have charged Nesterenko in the corner, and Charlie McAvoy, who didn’t bump Terry as he drifted toward the crease.
“Yeah,” McAvoy said when asked if there was a miscommunication on the game winner.
“We are trying so hard, we’re trying, even on the [Terry] goal, we want to do the right thing. We want to go pressure the puck, the man on man. We just want it so bad that we’re getting in our own way. We’re doing too much. We’re not doing it the right way,” said McAvoy. “We want it. You can see it how we fight when we go down. We want it. We’re dying to win in here. We’re close every single game and we just can’t find a way to get over the hump. But we’re right there. So, the dam will break sooner or later.”
Defensive breakdowns have been a common theme throughout this streak as the Bruins continue to have mental lapses, particularly right after scoring what should be momentum-changing goals.
“Yeah, when you don’t play defense, you usually give up goals,” said Nikita Zadorov when asked if there’s a common theme to the post-goal letdowns. “That’s how it works.”
Lohrei’s power-play goal late in the second evened things at 3, but the Bruins couldn’t carry that momentum into the final period.
Boston came out with a lack of urgency and jump to start the final period and when Viktor Arvidsson was called for tripping just 1:37 in, the Ducks pounced.
Granlund scored with the man advantage s go-ahead power-play strike. Stoneham’s Sam Colangelo then tallied his first goal of the season to push the Ducks’ lead to 5-3.
The Bruins (3-6) finally found their fight over the last 10 minutes, and their comeback was sparked on the power play.
With Cutter Gauthier in the box for delay of game, David Pastrnak scored his fifth of the season at 14:32. With the crowd as loud as it’s been all year, Geekie made it 5-all, converting a slick Zadorov pass at 14:57, and the joint was jumping.
Until Terry stepped in and spoiled the event.
“Just not being ready, I guess. I mean it happens every game it seems,” said Geekie about the club giving up goals just seconds after scoring them. “And our coaches prepare us with everything we need for the game. And I mean it’s just embarrassing to the fans, to everybody. I mean it’s just like poor, everything’s poor. it’s just one of those things that it’s not a teaching thing; it’s not anybody but ourselves. And each guy, myself included, has got to look in the mirror and decide what we want to do and how we want this year to go. And I think we’re faced with it pretty quickly and we’ve got to decide what we want to do.”
Casey Mittelstadt gave the Bruins an early lead, but it was answered by Drew Helleson. Geekie restored Boston’s lead in the second before Anaheim took its first lead on goals from Gauthier and Jacob Trouba. Lohrei’s power-play goal, his first of the season, evened it and set the stage for the wild third.
“We make mistakes. Mental mistakes. I mean we tie the game, need a big shift, go up there, give up a goal, you see the same thing happened against Florida [Tuesday],” said Zadorov. “So, I think it’s definitely, it’s in their heads and it’s fixable. So, that’s the most frustrating thing. It’s not like system breakdowns or anything like this. I thought we spent enough time talking about this in preseason and today it’s Game 9 of the regular season. Everybody should know where they’re at. It’s just the individual mistakes are costing us pretty much.”
The Bruins next chance to halt their skid comes Saturday against the Avalanche.
“Tomorrow is a new day. You play in the best league in the world, you have the best job in the world,” said Zadorov. “You go out there, you work your [tail] off, that’s how we do it here. It’s Boston Bruins hockey. You wear this jersey with pride and Saturday? Why not? That’s a great challenge. We’re playing against the best team in the league. They come in here, it’s a Saturday afternoon game, a lot of people are going to be watching this game. So, I mean, why not do it that day?”
Jim McBride can be reached at james.mcbride@globe.com. Follow him @globejimmcbride.
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