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Bruins off to worst start in 16 years

Winslow Townson / USA TODAY Sports

With a 6-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday, the Boston Bruins fell to 0-3-0, marking the worst start to begin a regular season since 1999.

According to head coach Claude Julien, the record is indicative of a clear move away from what made the team so successful in recent years.

"We’ve got to be better defensively with the amount of goals," Julien said after Monday's loss, according to Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe. "From the goaltender on out, defense, forwards coming back, we’ve just got to be better. It used to be our strength. Right now, it’s our weakness."

The numbers aren't pretty for the Bruins through three games. They've allowed 16 goals while only scoring seven, amounting to the worst goal differential league-wide, albeit in a very limited sample size.

Still, it's a level of mediocrity not seen in decades, as the 16 goals through three games is the most they've allowed in that span in 50 years.

With injuries to Dennis Seidenberg and Zdeno Chara - who made his season debut Monday - on the blue line, a measure of struggle for an otherwise inexperienced defense corps was expected in the beginning of the season.

But goalie Tuukka Rask, who's posted a save percentage of .846 to start the year, isn't pinning the goals allowed on anyone but himself.

"I’m pretty concerned with how many goals I’m letting in," he said. "That’s my concern."

Boston's leading scorer, however, was speechless in regards to how the team is playing in front of Rask.

"If you look at the big picture, 16 goals in three games, that’s not how we play," said David Krejci, who has scored two goals and five points. "I don’t even know what to say right now."

After dropping their first three games on home ice, the Bruins will now head west and hope to snap their skid on a mini two-game road trip to Colorado and Arizona.

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