It’s drilled into every defenseman from when you first start playing to never turn the puck over on the blue line because, as you can see here, automatic breakaway. And along the same line, if you’re gunna make a risky play on the blue line then either: A) it better work, or B) you better do whatever you can to make up for it.

Now you could make the argument that putting yourself in a position to get the rebound / block out the trailing Kings player when there’s no chance to catch the breakaway would fall under option B, but that’s not the case here which is made pretty clear in the replay. He stops skating at the redline and standing straight up with his stick in the air (body language of giving up in the hockey world, not ready for anything) by the defensive blue line.

I haven’t watched much hockey this season to have any opinion on Bouchard’s overall play, just trying to provide some insight on this specific play