Tag Archives: Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins History: The Kraut Line Part 1

From 1937 to 1947 one of the most dominant lines in hockey belonged to the Boston Bruins. Left Winger Woody Dumart, Center Milt Schmidt (who’s well known as The Ultimate Bruin), and Right Winger Bobby Bauer made up what was originally named the “Sauerkraut Line” for their German heritage. The nickname was quickly shortened to “The Kraut Line”. The three grew up playing hockey together in Kitchener, Ontario and made their way through the ranks together. By the time they got to the NHL their skills were well known. So was their nickname.

Dominating the NHL

The trio led the Bruins to two Stanley Cup victories in 1939 and 1941 and went 1, 2, and 3 in NHL scoring during the 1939-40 season. In that 39-40 season Milt Schmidt finished first in the NHL with 52 points. Woody Dumart and Bobby Bauer finished second and third in the NHL with 43 points each. That year Bauer won the Lady Byng Trophy for the NHL’s “Most Gentlemanly Player”, while Schmidt was elected to the First All-Star Team and Bauer and Dumart were elected to the Second All-Star Team.

Milt Schmidt later recollected, “There are several reasons why we had success that year. The three of us roomed together in Brookline, Massachusetts. We had one big room so that we were always together. After practices we discussed things we should work on. After a game we’d say, ‘Well we did this wrong or did that wrong.’ There was no nightlife or anything like that. We really worked at it and I think that had more to do with the success of our line than anything else. To finish one-two-three… I don’t know of any other line that did that before us and we were quite proud of the fact. Hard work. That was it.”

Rivalries Put on Hold

When World War II started, Schmidt, Dumart, and Bauer joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. They continued playing for the Bruins until it was time for deployment overseas in 1942. On February 10, 1942, the Boston Bruins played against the Montreal Canadiens at the Boston Garden. It’s no secret that the Bruins/Canadiens rivalry is the oldest and bitterest in hockey. That night the Bruins put a beating on Montreal, winning 8-1. But this was no ordinary game. This was the last game The Kraut Line would play before going overseas to fight for the Allies. Accordingly, for the first and only time, the rivalry was put aside. After losing in Boston, the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins together hoisted all three members of The Kraut Line onto their shoulders and skated them around the ice.

Milt Schmidt talked about that night to the Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont in 2010. “It shows you that out on the ice you’re enemies, but as soon as you’re off the ice, you can be good friends. To be treated like that, Bob, Woody, and I, before going into the service, it’s such a credit to the Canadiens, as players and people.” And with that, The Kraut Line was off to war. Hockey would have to wait.

Bruins First Round draft pick John Beecher: What You Need To Know

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On Friday night the Boston Bruins selected 18 year old Center John Beecher of the US NTDP. Beecher is committed to play for the University of Michigan come fall.

I mentioned Beecher as a potential prospect for the Bruins to select in the second part of my Bruins offseason outlook.

The Rundown

The numbers for John Beecher throughout his US NDTP career don’t exactly jump out at you in the stat book. But don’t be alarmed, he was on the team for a reason. Beecher has good skating and scoring abilities, but not quite as good as the other centers on the team. Never getting to play the role of more than a third line center, Bleecher still had a stellar career. Bleecher was stuck in the shadows of other elite center prospects Trevor Zegras, Alex Turcotte, and the first overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft Jack Hughes. Hughes, Zegras, and Turcotte all tend to be more along the lines of the scoring and playmaking type. Beecher can do a little bit of everything, but he also brings something to the table that most players at his age and position cant: Size.

Tale of the tape

Beecher weighs in at an impressive 200 pounds while standing 6’3. At the young age of 18, he’s already got a leg up on the competition. Size isn’t something you can teach, but skating, shooting, and defending all are things you can. Beecher’s size has already become something that he uses to his advantage. The ability to shake off defenders, stride passed defenders, and bully defenders in front of the net have all become a part of Beecher’s offensive game. Beecher’s size helps on both ends of the ice however. Paired with his good skating skills, his size also tends to be a nightmare for opposing teams while he’s on the forecheck. A large body that isn’t afraid to bang on the boards, Beecher could someday become a key part in the Bruins forecheck game. Beecher is also known for his willingness to block shots.

Offense

One thing that comes as a surprise to many when looking at the size of John Beecher is his playmaking ability. His height, wingspan, as well as his skating abilities make it easier for him to make a play. The ability to shake off defenders makes it easier for Beecher to cycle the puck. Beecher’s ability to cycle the puck could eventually find him on the power play at the NHL level. The speed and footwork for Beecher are very good for his size. He can keep up with most guys at the NHL level when fully developed. While being able to out skate some players, he can also out battle players as well. Beecher has a good sense of control with the puck around the goalie. His puck control, combined with size, and good hands could someday be a nightmare for opposing teams.

In Conclusion

PATIENCE. We already know that John Beecher’s size is NHL ready. But given his young age of 18, his skills might not quite be there yet. Skating D-1 college hockey, and eventually skating with Providence in the AHL will provide excellent learning opportunities for Beecher. Going back to the point that Beecher was in the shadow of other centers, it will help if he can center a top or second line. Seeing him with top line talent could show off his playmaking abilities, as well as his scoring ability. All in all I think the Boston Bruins made a very solid pick tonight. Being able to land a talent like Beecher should have the Bruins very happy with their 30th overall selection.

The second through seventh rounds of the 2019 NHL draft will take place on Saturday afternoon. The Bruins will pick four times on Saturday as of Friday night.

Don Sweeney Wins GM of the Year

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Don Sweeney has come full circle with the Boston Bruins organization. He started as a player, moved to the front office, later became the General Manager, and has now won GM of the year. He beat out fellow nominees Doug Armstrong of the St. Louis Blues and Don Waddell of the Carolina Hurricanes. General Manager of the Year is voted on by all of the General Managers in the league, so this is not only an honor but it shows how well a GM is regarded by their peers.

Before the NHL Awards, speaking on his nomination, Don Sweeney told reporters, “It’s obviously a privilege to being acknowledged by your peer group. A lot of work goes in. Obviously, it shares a reflection of the organization overall; the support you get throughout. It’s a little bit hard for us as the Boston Bruins to be fully on board and celebrating and such. But like I said, it’s a testament to the organization overall to be here.”

Where It Started

Sweeney was a defenceman drafted by the Bruins in 1984. He made his NHL debut in the 1988-89 season, and played with the Bruins until the 2002-03 season. He played for one more year with the Dallas Stars before retiring. During his 15 year tenure wearing #32 for the Bruins, he played in over 1,000 games. Wearing the Spoked B, he recorded 52 goals and 210 assists, equaling 262 points.

Becoming GM

On May 20^th 2015, Sweeney officially signed on as the Bruins General Manager, taking over from Peter Chiarelli. The biggest immediate obstacle he faced was the salary cap. Chiarelli had a tendency to sign players to large and extended contracts that left little room against the cap. Sweeney had to make some bold moves, such as trading longtime fan-favorites Milan Lucic and Dougie Hamilton. He’s had no hesitation trading fan-favorites to do what he believes is best for the team. Most recently he traded defenseman Adam McQuaid to the New York Rangers prior to this season. McQuaid was arguably the last of the old guard of hockey; the enforcer who would drop the gloves in a split-second to change the game’s momentum (or just because he wanted to). It was a gamble that paid off.

The final splash Sweeney made this season was trading for Charlie Coyle from the Minnesota Wild for Ryan Donato and a 2019 conditional fifth-round pick at the trade deadline. In 21 regular season games Coyle notched two goals and four assists, but it was in the post season where he excelled. He earned a plus-nine rating with nine goals and seven assists.

Looking Ahead

The Bruins fell just short this season, losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to the St. Louis Blues. The window could be closing on the Bruins core group of Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, and Brad Marchand. Sweeney is fully aware and rumors are swirling that he intends to make a big splash to get the boys in black and gold back to the Finals. Bold moves will likely be necessary, and the GM of the Year has shown time and again that he’s up to the task.

Boston Bruins 2019 Offseason outlook Part one; Current Roster

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The 2018-2019 Boston Bruins season has come and gone. The season might not have ended in the exact way that the team and fans may have hoped, but it was still undoubtedly a success. Next year’s success starts in the offseason.

Buyout for Backes?

First big date in the NHL offseason is June 15th. This marks the beginning of the buyout period for NHL teams. The big name that comes up for Bruins fans when they hear buyout is David Backes. Backes’s play didn’t sit well with fans this season, especially because Backes is due $6 million next season. Given the buyout rules, if the Bruins choose to buyout David Backes, the team will only save $333,333. For what Backes brings to the table still, I think its highly unlikely that the Bruins buy him out. Look for Boston to package a pick or prospect with Backes in a trade if they do look to unload his contract.

Boston Bruins 2019-2020 Schedule

Line em up

The Bruins have 14 pending free agents, and roughly $14 million to spend. Some restricted and some unrestricted. Given that young potential core, players like Brandon Carolo and Charlie McAvoy are both due big extensions, the Bruins will likely spend every bit of the initial $14 million before the offseason ends. In addition to Carlo and McAvoy, that leaves little money to spend for other key roster member on the list of free agents like Danton Heinen, Marcus Johannsson, and Noel Acciari. Given the current cap situation for the Bruins I think the fate of David Backes will be very telling for the Boston roster. If the Bruins want to bring back Marcus Johansson to help fix their right wing depth issue, something has to give. After Johansson’s play this season he will get money if he wants it. Money that the Bruins don’t exactly have as the offseason starts.

The time is now

This is quite possibly one of the best rosters that the Bruins have had in a while. A lot of talent in a lot of different places. But do they have talent in the right places? The Bruins have had an issue with depth on the wings for a couple seasons now. They have a lot of upcoming talent in the minor leagues, but it’s talent that isn’t quite NHL ready. With the depth that the Bruins have, they could go out and trade for players to fit their needs. A guy like David Krejci could be the cost if the Bruins want to create cap room for free agency. Krejci has been a consistent locker room presence for the Bruins. With the acquisition of Charlie Coyle at the trade deadline, though, the Bruins could afford to move a center.

Moves for the future

Torey Krug has been a very popular name in Boston as of late. Not only for his stellar play in the postseason, but also because he’s coming up on the final year of his contract. Krug is currently taking up nearly $5.5 million on the Bruins payroll. Again, the Bruins have some depth at the NHL level and could trade a defenseman if they choose to do so. A lot of the Bruins talent in the minors is talent that plays the blue line. So a veteran on a one year deal could give the Bruins prospects some time to progress into the 20-21 season.

In conclusion, the Bruins have a lot of options and a lot of crucial decisions to make. Some could come quick as the NHL draft is not far away. Some could come later in the offseason if the Bruins are not confident in their roster.

Game 7 Recap | The Bruins Fall to the Blues

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It starts in October. 31 teams, 31 fanbases. We hope, we dream, and we pray to the Hockey Gods (I imagine they’re big-bellied, beer-guzzling, bearded bad-asses who show one another affection by fighting). We all want one thing: the Stanley Cup. This year it came down to the Boston Bruins and the St. Louis Blues. It took all 7 games, but the Bruins ultimately fell to the Blues, who won their first Stanley Cup in their 51-year history.

Starting Strong

The Bruins were on home ice at TD Garden in Boston. The crowd was chanting “Let’s Go Bruins”, they were loud, and they were proud. The Black and Gold came out swinging. They fired at Blues goalie Jordan Binnington from every angle, and limited the Blues to one shot on goal in over 10 minutes to start the game. The Bruins outshot the Blues 12-4 in the first period, but that ultimately didn’t matter. With 3:13 left in the first period Ryan O’Reilly scored on a deflection to put the Blues up 1-0. Later, Brad Marchand went to the bench for an ill-timed line change, leaving Alex Pietrangelo a wide-open lane and shot at Rask. Pietrangelo scored with 7.9 seconds left in the first.

In the second period the Blues fed off their momentum. Neither team scored in the second, but St. Louis was taking over. They established a defensive stand at center ice, limiting offensive opportunities for the Bruins by forcing turnovers and pouring the puck back into the Bruins zone. Rask stood tall, denying all shots, but the Blues wouldn’t be deterred. They hit more and stayed on the puck, bringing the momentum with them into the third period.

Collapse

Entering the third period down 2-0 the Bruins were still alive. They pushed, making great entries into the St. Louis zone. But Binnington was a brick wall, allowing nothing. He made easy saves on weak shots, he made brilliant saves on nearly unstoppable shots. No matter what the Bruins gave him, Binnington was equal to the task. With 8:35 left in the game Brayden Schenn scored, putting the game all but out of reach at 3-0. Four minutes later the final nail was put in the coffin when Zach Sanford scored. Up 4-0 with 4:38 left in the season, the Bruins got desperate. They pulled Rask, putting six men on the ice for Boston, but they couldn’t get anything past Binnington until Matt Grzelcyk scored with 2:10 left. It made little difference in the outcome of the game, but it did prevent a St. Louis Game 7 shutout in Boston.

After the game Brad Marchand told Boston Sports Journal’s Conor Ryan, “It’s a heartbreaker. It’s tough to describe. You know, they just took our dream, our lifetime dream from us, and everything we’ve worked for our entire lives, and it’s 60 minutes away from that. You can’t describe it.”

Moving Forward

The loss brings many offseason questions. Zdeno Chara signed a one-year contract extension. Will the 42 year-old actually come back and try to get to the Finals again next year? Or will he retire after coming to the brink and losing? The Bruins core is getting older, and some of the young guys will need new contracts. There’s a lot of work to be done to try to get back to the Cup. In October we’ll start over. We’ll hope, we’ll dream, and we’ll pray to those often insufferable Hockey Gods.

GAME 7| STANLEY CUP FINAL: BOSTON BRUINS VS ST. LOUIS

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It all comes down this. Tonight, the Boston Bruins will face one last challenge and the prize for all their effort: one big silver cup. For the St. Louis Blues, if they win, it would be their first time since coming into the league in 1967. For Boston, this is the first Game Seven Stanley Cup Final being played at home.

DOWN BUT NEVER OUT

It’s been a long journey for both teams this season, and for the Bruins it has been a test of will and “next man up.” Boston dealt with many injuries throughout the regular season that forced Coach Bruce Cassidy to juggle the lines and relay on the fast legs of a few Providence players. And yet, despite the many setbacks, the team managed to stay afloat while ending their regular season in the Eastern Conference behind the Tampa Bay Lightning.

KEEPING THE PRESSURE

The Boston Bruins were sort of the dark horse to make into the final; it was all about the Lightning. But the Hockey Gods had other plans, and miraculously the juggernaut that was Tampa Bay fell in the first round. As the Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in a well-fought series, their focus would turn to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

After a stunning sweep of the Lightning, Columbus were looking to repeat that formula with the Bruins. But a factor that hindered a potential sweep: Tuukka Rask. For as good as Sergei Bobrovsky was, Rask was that much better. He had a combined .948 save percentage with a shutout performance in Game Six, and the Bruins would continue on to face Carolina.With each game and series win, the narrative changed quickly in Boston when it came to Rask. If the Bruins win, will Tuukka finally get the respect he deserves?

After a sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes, the stage had been set for Bruins: they would be in Stanley Cup Finals. Boston would be facing a tough competitor in St. Louis. In a series fret with a fair amount of controversies, winning a Game Seven at home for the Stanley Cup is a dream not every player gets to experience.

“I think that every hockey player can say that at one point in your life, or plenty of times, they’ve dreamed of being in a position like this. But it’s much different when you’re going through it and realizing how exciting and hard it is. You just have so much more appreciation for what we’ve been through and the road we’ve taken to get here. It’s a very special opportunity, regardless of how it plays out tomorrow. It’s been a special adventure with this group. Hopefully it ends on a good note…it’s gonna be a very hard-fought battle.”
Bruins Forward Brad Marchand

🎥Forward Noel Acciari on growing up dreaming of an opportunity like the one the #NHLBruins will have on Wednesday: "Mini sticks, outside, you're always playing next goal wins Game 7, Stanley Cup goal…It's going to be an exciting, emotional game." pic.twitter.com/RO4BNmvyGv
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) June 11, 2019

"We're expecting the fans to be awesome. The energy is going to be electric. The atmosphere – I can't even imagine how it's going to be like."

🎥Patrice Bergeron expects the @tdgarden crowd to bring it in Game 7: pic.twitter.com/LpRFxzY55t
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) June 11, 2019

QUICK NOTES

It was recently announced that Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk has been cleared to play, however will be a gametime decision. If he plays, Coach Bruce Cassidy stated he would go in for Connor Clifton.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Tonight will mark 106 games played by the Boston Bruins. The expectations are high, and both teams will be gunning to bring every single thing they have onto the ice. The Bruins are within reach of adding another Championship to the city. For both Boston and St. Louis, this was no easy journey. And despite the outcome, this has been a wild ride.

“It’s winner take all…not much needs to be said. It’s not hard to get up for these games. It’s the biggest game of the year, obviously. We just have to be ready to go.”
Bruins Center Charlie Coyle

This is it folks. ONE MORE GAME. Put your lucky jersey on, get your beers ready, pray to whatever god you pray to and let’s have a good game.

Go Bruins.

WHEN TO WATCH: Tonight with puck drop after 8:00 pm, TD GARDEN

WHERE TO WATCH: NBC

Follow me on Twitter @pastagrl88

Backes battles former dreams in hopes to achieve new one

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St Louis drafted David Backes in the second round of the 2003 NHL entry draft. In 2008 the Blues completed their first full season with Backes. Backes played with the Blues for ten seasons. As result of exceptional leadership Backes was team captain for five of those years. St. Louis Fans absolutely considered Backes a crowd favorite. He played a crucial part in the Blues making the playoffs in six of his ten years there. After no championship in ten seasons, or even making it to a cup final, Backes decided to turn a new leaf.

In 2016 David Backes signed a five year contract with the Boston Bruins. After three seasons with the Bruins, and a so far successful run in the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs, a very interesting situation has come as a result; The Boston Bruins are playing the St. Louis Blues in a Stanley Cup Final, winner take all game seven on Wednesday night.

Leader on and off the ice

Backes is seen by some as the bad guy given that he plays with quite the amount of grit, in other words, he’s not always a crowd favorite. Presenting himself in a good manor is something David Backes does very well. He’s highly active in animal rescue and animal adoption efforts. Those efforts have resulted in starting his own organization that raises funds and awareness for protecting homeless pets. Who doesn’t like a guy that saves animals? But presently Backes’ game results in him being quite dog himself. Backes isn’t the type of guy to be a crowd favorite for the fans of opposing teams. After taking on the enforcer roll, Backes is a thorn in the side of opposing players now even more so.

Feeling Blue?

Having to play the Blues in the Cup does have Backes a little torn. He even wishes the Bruins and Blues could take turns winning the cup. As a result of playing former friends and coaches for the cup, they’ve all given the cold shoulder until after the series according to Backes, therefore game seven will be open season. Given that David Backes still roots for the Blues, even as a member of the Boston Bruins, he isn’t in a lose – lose situation.I

Certainly hoping to hoist the cup himself with the Bruins, I think its easy to tell now that even if the game results in the Blues win the cup on Wednesday night there’s a little piece of David Backes that will be filled with joy, seeing his former teammates, coaches, fans, and even some close friends hoist the Stanley Cup.

Recap: The Boston Bruins Force Game 7

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The Boston Bruins had their backs against the wall going into Enterprise Stadium in St. Louis on Sunday night. The Stanley Cup was in the building and the Blues were looking to hoist it in front of their home crowd. Word got out that the Blues already had a restaurant rented to celebrate their victory and a St. Louis newspaper had leaked an image online congratulating the Blues on their Stanley Cup win. Boston had an uphill battle to climb and they were up to the task.

Motivation

In the locker room before the game, Patrice Bergeron gave a rousing speech to fire up the boys in black and gold. Jake DeBrusk spoke about it afterward. “He’s a legend. He said some words that I don’t know if he necessarily wants me to repeat. They weren’t bad words. It was just about what we all dream about doing. Everyone that grows up playing hockey dreams of being in this moment. It was something along those lines and to see him set the tone that way wanted us all to run through a wall.”

Quick Start

If the St. Louis Blues defense was the proverbial wall, the Bruins certainly ran through it. In the first period they had a 5-3 power play and capitalized almost immediately with a goal by Brad Marchand. After holding a 1-0 lead through two periods, the Bruins opened the floodgates in the third. Two and a half minutes into the period Brandon Carlo scored, and halfway through the period Karson Kuhlman scored his first career postseason goal, putting the Bruins up 3-0.

With eight minutes left in the game, Blues Center Ryan O’Reilly scored in a bizarre incident. Tukka Rask stopped the puck with his right leg pad, kicked it back out and play continued. During the next stoppage in play word had come down from Toronto to review the shot attempt. Upon review it was determined that the puck had completely cleared the line, making it a good goal. St. Louis was on the board and had life with the score now 3-1.

Closing Out Strong

That was the only goal they would score. With six minutes remaining, Brad Marchand, in front of the net, sent a backward pass to David Pastrnak. Pastrnak faked a shot, baiting goalie Jordan Binnington, who laid out to make a stop. The puck was shot top shelf and went in easily. Finally, with just under three minutes left, Zdeno Chara scored with an unassisted slap shot, making the final score 5-1. After the game, Brad Marchand said, “We’re fighting for our lives obviously. When you play desperate, I think you see everyone’s best game.”

The Bruins are now 3-0 when facing elimination this post season and Tuukka Rask is a major part of that. His goals allowed average is 1.34, and he has a .953 save percentage in elimination games. Boston will host Game 7 on Wednesday night. The Cup will be at TD Garden and somebody will be hoisting it in victory. Both teams will be desperate. With Rask in net and the home crowd fired up and participating, this Boston Bruins team could very well pull the victory. They’ll need everyone ready to run through a wall to do so.

The Bruins Need A Hero

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After losing 2-1 to the St. Louis Blues in Game 5, Tuukka Rask was asked for a summary of the game. He laughed and said, “Summary? Probably could’ve stopped more pucks with my eyes closed. That’s about it. It’s on me, but we’re on to the next one.”

Officiating

It’s an admirable statement, but it’s also false. We can talk about how the first goal was scored while St. Louis had too many men on the ice. We can talk about how the second goal came seconds after Tyler Bozak took down Noel Acciari with a slew foot that wasn’t called, despite happening directly in front of referee Kelly Sutherland. We can talk about Ivan Barbashev hitting Marcus Johansson with a shoulder to the head and Zach Sanford hitting Torey Krug with an elbow to the head. None of those were called. In fact, the Blues haven’t had many calls against them since Blues Coach Craig Berube complained about the calls they received in Game 3. It’s also no coincidence that Game 3 was the best-called game of the series and the Bruins dominated, 7-2.

The officiating can’t be held completely responsible though, and neither can Rask. The Bruins have depth that has yet to show up in force. The power play was ferocious in Game 3, but seemed to disappear in the last two games. The zone possession hasn’t been steady by any means, and the first two lines have yet to truly show up. In short, the Boston Bruins need a hero to step up.

Boosts to Morale

Captain Zdeno Chara took a puck to the face, breaking his jaw in Game 4. In Game 5 he was back on the ice on the starting line and even had the first hit of the game. At one point the Blues were shooting on net and Rask ended up flat, too far out. David Krejci jumped in the crease and stopped a puck with his chest. Those are huge steps and great confidence boosters for the team. Now down 3-2 in the series, the Bruins have to win both of the remaining games. With their backs against the wall, they have to prevent the Blues from winning Game 6 in St. Louis and force a Game 7 back in Boston.

The Bruins have been here before. They were down 3 games to 2 in the first round against Toronto. They’ve shown they have the fortitude, strength, confidence, and downright grittiness to win against tough odds. So who will it be? It has to be the first two lines. Krejci had that amazing save, reminiscent of Michael Ryder in Game 5 against the Montreal Canadiens in the 2011 playoffs, but his line hasn’t been effective in scoring. The Perfection Line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak has been well defended, but it’s time to break through that defense. They have to persevere and find a way and it has to happen now. There’s no longer a tomorrow.

Bruins Vs. Blues | Stanley Cup Game 5 Preview

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Two steps forward, one step back. That’s how the Stanley Cup Finals have gone for the Boston Bruins. They won Game 1 with a four-unanswered-goal comeback, taking it 4-2. They dominated Game 3 scoring four power play goals and winning 7-2. Unfortunately, Game 4 played similarly to Game 2. The Bruins couldn’t maintain the puck in the offensive zone, couldn’t keep it out of their own, and committed far too many turnovers. They lost Game 2 in overtime 3-2, then lost Game 4 by a score of 4-2. Both losses also came with injuries to the Bruins defense. In Game 2 Matt Grzelcyk was hit by Oskar Sundqvist and hasn’t played since due to a concussion. In Game 4 Zdeno Chara deflected the puck into his face and it’s reported that he has a broken jaw.

Tie Breaker

Tied at 2, the series is now a best-of-three. Game 5 is in Boston, as well as Game 7 if necessary. The Bruins will look to utilize the home crowd and light up the scoreboard early. They’ll need to establish and maintain offensive zone time and shoot at the net every chance they get. In both losses the Bruins had significantly fewer shots on goal than the Blues. Tuukka Rask has been amazing throughout the playoffs, but he’s going to need more offensive help to win the Stanley Cup.

Utilizing the Power Play

The Bruins haven’t been as productive during 5-on-5 play lately, so the key will be drawing penalties. They’ve been lethal on the power play and that can jump-start the full-strength offense. The Blues have been physical with several borderline (and a few egregious) hits, so getting a few calls should be inevitable. If the Bruins can capitalize on those chances and get something going, maintain puck possession, and cut down on turnovers, they’ll have a great chance of winning.

Defensive Woes

The defensive situation is a big question. Matt Grzelcyk was at practice on Wednesday, which is good news. But he was wearing the red, “no-contact”, jersey. So whether or not he plays in Game 5 remains to be seen. Chara is another question mark. There still hasn’t been any official word on him or his availability, but he wasn’t at practice on Wednesday. He’s consistently led the Bruins in ice time, so if he can’t play that leaves the Bruins with a large defensive hole. The current speculation is that Coach Bruce Cassidy will dress seven defensemen, instead of the usual five, to fill that void.

The Bruins had to win Game 3, and to do so they would have to play their best game of the season. They did. This time even more is on the line and they’ll have to play just as tough. They can’t allow the Blues to win Game 5 in Boston and go back to St. Louis to potentially win it all. Game 5 is an absolute must-win for the Bruins, and they’ll need all four lines showing up in force to do so. The series, the season, and the Stanley Cup is on the line.