'Mental fatigue': David Pastrnak comes up with excuses after blowout loss to Canadiens

Last season was a major struggle for the Boston Bruins, but this season, they were hoping to turn things around led by the veteran core of Jeremy Swayman, Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak.

Although they started well, the Bruins have now dropped four straight and five of their past six games, culminating in a massive 6-2 defeat at the hands of the Canadiens on Tuesday night.

The game was incredibly spirited, but ultimately, the Bruins came up short in a very disappointing performance that now sees the team sit at 20-17-1 on the season.

After the defeat, Pastrnak, a key leader and producer of the team addressed the recent struggles, noting that mental fatigue has played a key part in their struggles, with the upcoming break being much needed.

As of right now, many believe that the Bruins have been outplaying their skill level, and given the way they've been blown out lately, but if they can't keep up mentally, this is a team that's going to struggle moving forward.

Ultimately though, with leaders like Pastrnak and McAvoy, this team has the ability to compete, but with performances like they've given in their last four outings, it's safe to say that they may continue falling in the standings.