Patrice Bergeron: Patrice Bergeron scores PPG in 4-2 loss

Only 2 games into the regular season and the Montreal Canadiens are on a roll, beating the Boston Bruins 4-2 on Saturday night. “I like the way that line played tonight”. Perhaps more important: That the Bruins deleted one of only three left-shooting defensemen (Irwin) on the eve of a game suggested that Chara, who was injured on September 24, could make his 2015-16 debut against the Lightning. Montreal, meanwhile, relied on a familiar blueprint to win its season opener, getting 36 saves from Carey Price before captain Max Pacioretty capped off a two-game game with an empty-netter in a 3-1 victory over Toronto.

“He’s been a great warrior for us over the years and he’s a real pro”, Therrien said.

The Islanders came out with goal after losing their opening two games of the season to the defending champion Blackhawks, one in overtime at home and the other in regulation in Chicago.

The Bruins have not announced a timetable for Marchand’s return, but head coach Claude Julien said he hopes the 27-year-old will be able to travel with the team on its upcoming road trip, which includes stops in Colorado and Arizona.

Boston goalie Tuukka Rask stopped 37 shots and kept the Bruins from being routed. The Bruins clearly missed their supersized defenseman, especially against Montreal’s top line of Eller, Semin and Galchenyuk. “Any chance they get they’re going to find a way to create something out of it, so we really have to bear down in our zone more”. “I’d be optimistic right now, but then again, I could be wrong”.

Lars Eller’s second of the night made it 3-0 before Matt Beleskey gets his first as a Bruin to cut it to 3-1. Beleskey, signed during the offseason, has two points so far this year. Montreal outshot Boston 38-21 while beating the rival Bruins for the sixth straight time – a streak that dates to the end of the 2013-14 season.

Early in the third, Flynn was battling for the puck near the penalty boxes, and Ryan Spooner charged across the ice to hit him squarely in the numbers and into the glass. And the penalty kill unit has the same positioning issues, as everyone (Chara included) loses Ondrej Palat down low for the tying goal.

The truth is that none of us have any clue how the Bruins will play this season until Zdeno Chara plays a game for the club. The teams will play in the January 1 Winter Classic at Gillette Stadium and wore “Classic” stocking caps in the pregame skate…. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus opens its stay on Causeway Street on Wednesday, but the Bruins will only be playing a pair of games on the road while the magicians, clowns and animals take center stage.

Tampa Bay Lightning’s J.T. Brown (23) takes the puck past Boston Bruins’ Torey Krug (47) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Boston, Monday, October 12, 2015.

Things haven’t looked much better since, with a 4-2 loss to Montreal on Saturday and a 6-3 loss to Tampa Bay on Monday.