The Boston Bruins have their collective backs against the wall. With absolutely zero room for error, they will attempt to protect their home ice in Game 6 or watch the Stanley Cup as it is awarded to the Chicago Blackhawks in Boston’s TD Gardens.
Did I mention that they have to do this with their best skater optimistically listed as a game-time decision? Patrice Bergeron who has been sensational for the Bruins the entire playoffs, left Game 5 in the early part of the second period. He was taken to a Chicago hospital and released Sunday morning. Of course the Bruins were predictably glib about Bergeron’s status.
"Well, again, what does day to day mean? I don't know if he'll skate tomorrow -- he may. And that's what day to day is. Again, I'm trying to be as clear as I can here." Bruins coach Claude Julien said.http://espn.go.com/boston/nhl/story/_/id/9415497/2013-stanley-cup-finals-patrice-bergeron-boston-bruins-listed-day-day-not-ruled-game-6 Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but at this stage in the playoffs the gamesmanship extends to the coaches as well.
So how do the Bruins extend their season? They have lost the last two games, surrendering nine goals in the process. Their best defenseman, Zdeno Chara is a combined minus-4 through the five game series. He has looked awkward and out of position at times with the speedy Blackhawks bearing down on the Boston goal.
The big, bad Bruins left Chicago with home ice advantage nine days ago. They left Sunday morning facing elimination in their own building Monday night.
Boston has to game plan for Monday without Bergeron. Forget about how tough he is, because only a severed limb will keep him off the ice at this point. He will not be close to 100% unless David Ortiz (yeah I went there) lets him borrow some fish paralyzer or HGH. The Bruins strength is their team defense and they will have to step up to secure a Boston win.
Boston needs to cut down on the shots that Tuukka Rask is facing. After bailing the Bruins out in two of the first three games, Rask has been very good instead of world class. He was on his game Saturday night, but some poor marking in front of the net allowed Patrick Kane to knock in his eighth and ninth goals of the playoffs.
A huge hit by Johnny Boychuk on Chicago’s captain Jonathan Toews put the Hawks captain into happy land for the entire third period of Game 5. Toews is in the same game-time decision boat as Bergeron, but the prospect of being handed the Stanley Cup will ensure that the Chicago captain will dress for Game 6.
Boston will need to come out aggressive and pepper Corey Crawford with shots early and often. The “glove side” fallacy that all the experts have been leaning on is pure coincidence. Crawford is one game from being a Stanley Cup winning goaltender. There is not a hole in his glove hand, but it is convenient and easy for every one to call him out.
As aggressive as Boston needs to be on offense, they need to be aggressive and vigilant in their defensive zone as well. Don’t think for a second that Boychuk’s hit isn’t on the mind of every Chicago forward that will come screaming down the wings. Watching their captain count canaries in the third period Saturday will be in the back of their heads. Chara needs to own the real estate in front of Rask the way he did in the first three games and worry less about trying to skate with the fleet Blackhawks.
Speaking of Chara, his slapshot provided the Bruins’ only offense Saturday night. How about the guy with the hardest shot in the NHL takes more than a couple shots per game? His three on Saturday gave him eight for the series. Do you think any Chicago forwards want to take a 110-mph howitzer off of the shin pads, shoulder pads, athletic supporter or worse? Hell no. TELL THE BIG GUY TO SHOOT!!! Sorry, but when you have a bazooka, why are you using a BB gun?
I expect Boston to take Game 6 decisively. I think that Chicago will fold rather quickly once they get a couple of goals down and you might see some more fisticuffs, or hair pulling and scratching from Andrew Shaw. Chicago will look like the team that wants to win the cup at home and the Bruins will accommodate with a (TD) Garden quality beat down. See you on Wednesday for Game 7!