You know what they say about specialty teams- they're special. And typically, the team that can produce on them ends up with the better chance of winning. While this statement hasn't held true for the Bruins these playoffs (see the power play failures and penalty kill breakdowns), it has been a stepping stone for the Vancouver Canucks to use in vaulting into the finals.
Going into Game 3, a lot was made of the Bruin's inability to get their power play going while a small note was given to the Canucks only having converted once while having a number of 2 minute drills run afoul in the neutral zone and their own end. In game 3 though we have seen the shift in execution on these units though and while it's been a surprise to most, none can look past the impact of it.
The hit on Horton gave the Bruins a 5 minute power play warm up in the first that unfortunately for them did not lead to a conversion, what it did do though was provide them with a number of quality chances that kept Luongo moving just to keep the score even. At the other end of the ice, the Canuck's power play would look bad- but not as bad as it would get for them.
The second period is where things would erupt. After the goal 11 seconds in the Bruin's 1st power play attempt of the period would pay off. The puck movement they showcased in the first continued and play off the half boards resulted in Vancouver overplaying the puck opening a pass across the slot from Ryder to Recchi to put home while Peverley crashed the crease. And with the goal came more momentum for Boston.
The value of a successful powerplay cannot be measured in goals alone. The success gives the team a sense of pride in their work, a feeling that they are in control and pushes them to lean on their opponents looking for more cracks in the armor. This is exactly what Boston would do through the remainder of the period as David Krejci would add a 3rd goal to the lead before Vancouver would get a series of powerplays.
With the momentum against them, the Vancouver Canucks continued to struggle on the special teams in the second. Their 1st power play attempt after a call on Andrew Ference would be stymied consistently with the strong forechecking of Daniel Paille and Gregory Campbell tying the puck movers up at their end of the ice. Credit has to be given to these two- while their minutes have been limited this series, both have always given 110% on the ice and have looked to contribute in whatever way they can. On these penalty kills the two struck hard with big hits, forced turn overs and shots on Luongo.
The effort would continue over on Vancouver's next chance on a Lucic penalty with Paille and Campbell again acting as foilers. Their play though would be one upped this time though as Brad Marchand would force a turn over and come in one on one against Luongo cutting across the net to put one upstairs for the Bruin's fourth of the period.
This period has ended with the Bruins still on the penalty kill after a high stick by Johnny Boychuk (a double minor). With almost 2 and a half minutes killed though, the Bruins have continued to be strong with their special team efforts.
The question that many will ask now is, can they maintain this advantage or will the Vancouver Canucks be able to adapt and find a way to get second chances or their first ones past the enigma that is Tim Thomas. In no way has either team solved their specialty team issues (other than possible the Bruins on the penalty kill), but if this swing continues through the 3rd and game 4, we could likely see a tied series heading back to Vancouver. A result that may lead to many questioning how much of a favorite the Canucks are and how things may swing in what would be a best of 3 series.
There are plays in hockey that make us stop. There are plays that amaze us, make us jump from our seats, make us clap, cheer and at times make us forget about everything else in the world. And then there are the plays that stop us as we look on in shock and disbelief. The hit by Aaron Rome on Nathan Horton in the first period of game 3 was one of the latter moments unfortunately, and one that will have Boston searching for updates, health for Horton and payback.
The hit by Rome came early in the first, a hit where the Vancouver defenseman stepped up in an attempt to make a big impact and set a tone for his team by taking on one of Boston's best. Unfortunately, the hit was late, was to the head and was blindsided- a perfect storm for injury- and the exact type of hit the NHL is attempting to remove from the game. For it to happen on the national stage, in a game that matters as much as this one and after a season where the league has worked hard to get rid of it, is disgraceful.
At this moment, the Bruins have announced that Nathan Horton has been transported to Mass General Hospital and is moving all of his extremities- a great sign after what happened on the ice. While all Bruins fans and those in the world of hockey are wishing for his quick and full recovery, it's a play like this that makes us stop and reflect on how lucky we all are to have our health and hope for the same for Horton. From all of us at SomethingsBruin, we hope Nathan all the best.
So what will happen to Rome because of this? Well, that is up to the league but after replay of the hit and him receiving the gate, it's likely he will be suspended. Have no doubt about it- this was a dirty hit. The replay shows Horton making the pass and being on his 3rd cross over before the shot is delivered. Rome on the hit leaves his feet making direct contact to Horton's head while he's facing away from him. The hit was dirty and a nonhockey play. It was unnecessary, a horrible choice and could have serious impacts on Horton's future this season and even long term.
If we compare this to the stiffer penalties that the NHL has been dealing out for similar hits, this one deserves 3 games. Will it be that extreme in the playoffs with a Mike Murphy dealing the penalty? No one knows. But be certain that anything less will lead to outcry in Boston and anything more will have Vancouver arguing that this is playoff hockey and the judgement is too harsh.
When it's all done with though we all really need to hope for 2 things. 1. For Nathan Horton's recovery and ability to come back and succeed at the game he loves. And 2. for the NHL to continue to crack down on the type of plays and situations that game after game reduces the talent and quality product they bring to the ice. Hopefully, the league takes advantage of this situation to do just that.
Today’s topic is not going to come as some shocking revelation, but it’s something worth discussing nonetheless (especially in light of the recent game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals): the selective blindness of the playoff official.
It's a fact that even during the regular season, referees both miss calls and actively overlook things. From the outside looking in, it can be difficult to tell what has happened in a situation, and there are plenty of players who do their ‘best’ work when the referee’s back is turned. There will always be games where penalties are handed out like candy, but they’re memorable because they’re the exception to the rule. In professional and Division I hockey it’s even more noticeable than it is in the lower levels, because the power play is expected to have a certain minimum level of effectiveness. Earned or not, a slanted scoresheet in the penalty section raises eyebrows and sets tongues wagging.
That being said, a perfectly balanced scoresheet does not automatically mean that a game was well-called, and neither does a sheet full of infractions. Teams have off nights where they’ll act out (or take stupid penalties - Delay of Game and Too Many Men are calls that can’t be ignored), and sometimes minor penalties are seen as an acceptable price to pay for preventing a goal or sending a message. Officiating is a subjective exercise, and calls can be influenced by everything from the angle of the referee’s gaze to the significance of the game and who he happens to be partnered with that night. Every on-ice official has their own standard of enforcement, and the trick is in making sure that standard is fairly and evenly applied. Calling every minor hook and trip may ascribe to the letter of the law, but a hockey game needs movement and flow, and that often requires discretion to be applied in the form of a blind eye.
Hello, NHL, it's been a while. The Bruins haven't been one of the last two teams standing for 21 years. That's a pretty long time.
The last time the Bruins made it to the Conference Finals was 1992, but they were swept by Mario Lemieux's Pittsburgh Penguins en route to their Stanley Cup victory, also a sweep, over the Chicago Blackhawks. We have to go back a little further to 1991 for the last time the Bruins won a game in the Conference Finals - they won two, actually, but fell (again) to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who won four games to two.
The last time the Bruins got as far as they are now - sitting in a Western Canadian city, ready to start the Stanley Cup Finals - was 1990. 21 years ago. Obviously, times have changed significantly since then. For starters, the Bruins last played a Stanley Cup Final game in May, in the Boston Garden, a building that fit entirely in TD Garden's front parking lot. It's certainly been a while since that building was knocked down.
Can you imagine BizNasty trying to tweet from something like this? Welcome to cell phones circa 1990.
If you can remember the last time the Bruins got this far, congratulations - you're sort of old. What else was going on in the world in 1990?
Team. It took a team effort and in the end, they celebrated it as a team. As the final moments of game 7 went by and the Garden Faithful rose to their feet in celebration of their team achieving their 1st Cup appearance in 20 years, the Bruins as a team came together and celebrated. And when the handshakes were through and Zdeno Chara was presented with the Wales Trophy, it was the team that he made come over and join in the photo because it was not a victory for him alone.
Tonight, the Bruins went on the ice in an effort to play a perfect game. To play mistake free, keep Tampa from the power play and execute in all 3 zones. As a team they did so and only the efforts of Dwayne Roloson were able to keep them from solidifying their place in the Cup Finals until late in the 3rd period. In the end though, their hard work, dedication and focus on surpassing Tampa let them capitalize on the one small defensive mistake that the Lightning could not afford.
With less than 8 minutes to go in the 3rd, the Lucic-Krejci-Horton line hit the ice looking to put their team ahead. Taking a pass from Andrew Ference to cut through the neutral zone, David Krejci was able to gain the blue line and delay gaving Nathan Horton the opportunity to drive to the net and receive a pass behind Roloson for the tap in. The goal would hold up as the game winner and the only one of the match as the Bruins continued to focus and kept the Lightning at bay for the remaining 7 and a half minutes.
While we've seen in the past certain lines bring the mental focus and effort required to carry the team to victory, tonight, it was a full team effort. Consistent pressure and speed ended up being too much for a hurting Lightning team. Boucher spoke after the game about it praising the Bruins depth, resilience and their ability to stay focused and perfect in a game where each team looked to find the one mistake they could exploit. The effort on the goal would carry over as the Bruins would go into a lock down mode, preventing Tampa from getting the quality chance they needed.
Even if the outcome was due to the effort across the whole team, there were players who were willing to do what was needed to make sure they moved on. Dennis Seidenberg may have played the best game on his life tonight being a consistent rock on the back end, blocking shots, taking hits, taking away space and moving the puck. Andrew Ference as well with his use of speed and physical play to shut down the quickness that Tampa can bring. Zdeno Chara, leading this team by example for the entire playoffs and then here again tonight. Tim Thomas who was in his classic zone tonight and working harder than anyone while showing that his talents only get better with age. Bergeron, Marchand, Recchi and Peverley- creating chances, pushing Tampa's defense back and keeping their opponents locked down. Tyler Seguin with his continuing maturation and dedication in all 3 zones (while playing 15 minutes in a game 7, not bad for a rookie). The Krejci line of course as they found the hole and exploited it. And everyone else that made this team succeed tonight and all throughout this journey.
So tonight they'll sit back and enjoy what they've done as a team and celebrate what only a team can do. And then they'll be back on the ice as a team, preparing and working to accomplish their final goal. One team, one goal.
The first period of the biggest game so far this year is over for the Bruins. While the scoreboard still shows both team at 0, the play at both ends of the ice generated enough chances for either team to be ahead in this one. With that said, the momentum stayed with the Bruins and their fans through 1 and they'll look to keep pushing it into the 2nd.
Overall, the play of the black and gold was good. Players were quick to get back and help with defense, often forcing the play wide and then cutting off lanes back to the point or to the net. Tampa being the offensive threat they are though continued to force opportunities with chances down low on an often screened Thomas. While Thomas had to be good in the first, he couldn't have kept Tampa off the board without the play of Seidenberg and Chara who limited chances and blocked shots. The defense as a whole participated in this and prevented Tampa from capitalizing down low.
At the other end of the ice, Tampa was able to stifle Boston similarly though there were some opportunities for Boston to net one. The best chance came after the half way point in the period when Milan Lucic found himself on a breakaway with speed and came in looking to put a wrist shot low on Roloson. Roloson was able to get his pad out on this one though to keep things even. Outside of Lucic, the Bruins generated a number of chances from the point with guys crashing often, particulary veteran center Patrice Bergeron who showed a hunger for getting the job done tonight. Rookie Tyler Seguin also showed his desire in this one making himself often noticeable on the ice and pushing Tampa's defense back with his speed.
The speed of Seguin and the push of the Bruins began to show part of their strategy through the 1st- to force Tampa back and into situations where they would be forced to ice the puck or cover it up. By doing so, the Bruins have a pass to get through the 1-3-1 that Tampa would resort to late in the period and prevent them from gaining the opportunity to turn mistakes into goals. Counting on wins in the faceoff dot can be risky but tonight the Bruins have done well in the circle and have created a number of chances off of the draw including a wrist shot low far side from winger Brad Marchand that had Roloson getting low and to his side quickly.
When the Bruins have not seen the 1-3-1 they have looked to stretch Tampa's defense and force them to open up the middle of the nice. Doing so has given Boston's puck carriers the chance to attack and get the puck in hard without much resistance until the blue line. It also has given the Bruins better speed entering the zone and kept Tampa from turning the play back up ice quickly.
Going into the 2nd, the Bruins need to continue with their neutral zone strategies and force play into Tampa's end. Their effort in the first was able to generate 15 shots on goal- more than they have had in most periods and almost more than they had in game 5. The more chances they can create, the more likely they are at taking the lead in this one and the first lead in this one will be huge. They'll also look to keep up the physical play and punish Tampa's top players like Seidenberg did with his open ice hit on Martin St Louis early on. Forcing the tempo will only help this team in their attempts to move to the Cup Finals.
Tampa will look to neutralize Boston by attacking the neutral zone, possibly implementing a harder fore check and frustrate Boston at their end to take away the momentum. If they look to hang back and cut Boston off at their end, Boston will attack and gain entry before forcing in a goal.
The 2nd in any case will be instrumental. Expect a dog fight in this one with work happening on top of both creases in an effort to take the upper hand.
Sitting upstairs looking down on the Garden tonight has me quite a few things; anxious, excited, believing, thankful and reminiscent. The 10-11 season has had it's shares of ups and downs, joyful moments and heartaches and in the end it's been an amazing ride and one, as a Bruins fan, I don't want to see end.
From the start overseas to the ruts the team saw mid season through the playoff push, deadline moves and opening rounds, this season has been more of a ride than most of us expected. One where we've shaken our heads at times but mostly, has us excited; excited about the possibilities that tonight presents and the possibilities that come with our future. Yet before we start dreaming of line ups for next season (I mean we have all summer to do just that) I'd like to take a moment and do two things- say thank you and give the keys to tonight's game.
So to start, thanks. Thanks to the Bruins- you guys have made it quite the season, have pushed hard, battled injury, rough patches, negative attention at times and your fair of set backs, yet you've pushed on and pushed on hard to make quite the drive so far. Let's keep it going tonight and give this team the opportunity to battle it out with Vancouver for the Cup. Thanks to the fans- the ones you have come every night, supported the team through the ups and downs, been there for the good and the bad, stressed and discussed and gone over board following this team. Without the fans, this team doesn't exist. Thanks to the writers who follow and relay what they learn about this team. You keep everyone up and throw out new ideas. Sure sometimes you think your influence reaches beyond what it really does, but it's the media that pushes ideas and those sparks can sometimes lead to great things. Thanks to this organization for doing all they can to make this year a reality and for stocking the system with some incredible talent so that we can have this excitement year in, year out. Thanks to the Bruins marketing department for making some awesome jokes- even if Tampa fans aren't appreciative. And finally, thanks to the writers on Something's Bruin- you guys are great in pushing the insights and discussions that make me and hopefully most out there enjoy this sport even more.
On to the pregame thoughts:
No one needs to say how big tonight is to this team, organization and city. With the last Stanley Cup appearance happening 21 years ago, the last cup win well before that, the Bruins are poised to make the push that many have dreamed of. All it will take, is 1 win tonight.
To get that win though will be a challenge as every game in this series has been. The Lightning are a quality opponent, one who the Bruins have respected and battled through 6 games evenly. To topple them won't be an easy task. It is a task though that will start in the Bruin's own end. Defense will be critical in this match up. The Lightning last game showed that they're capable of coming out and putting up the numbers needed to win most games. With a number of talented scorers capable of turning a mistake into a goal for the opposition and a deadly power play, the Bruins will need to be careful and cognizant of Tampa's offensive schemes, attempts to stretch the ice and presence down low. The Bruins will need to keep the front of the net clear, keep Thomas from getting run over when possible, and work to quickly move the puck out of the zone.
With the home ice advantage, the Bruins do have the ability to focus on shutting down the Lightning with their choice of match ups. Look for Tampa's top lines to be challenged consistently by Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg. The Boston defensive pair has been relied upon for all of the playoffs and will be looked to again tonight. The pair will have to be physical in their own end, keep Tampa to the outside and look to make quick clean plays to begin the transition.
Additionally, Boston will need to stay out of the box. Game 6 showed what can happen when Tampa's power play comes to life. While prior to game 6 the penalty kill was rather effective, it's better to not take the chance and seeing what the Lightning will do. Keeping them off the power play will also allowed a better flow to the 5 on 5 game- something that benefits the Bruins as the home team and can be beneficial in exploiting match ups.
Through center ice Boston will be forced to keep up with a continually changing system. Tampa will likely come out with the 1-2-2, attempting to force Boston into jams and dumping the puck or taking the puck and forcing play back up ice before Boston can filter the puck to the outside. On top of that, many are aware of the 1-3-1 that Tampa will resort to especially when guarding a lead. The system requires a different method of attack, often having a Bruins puck carrier move laterally to open up lanes and drag the deep man to one side so that play can be pushed back into open areas. Boston will need to watch for the changes and adapt their attacks so that they do not play into the systems. As noted earlier, a mistake- especially in the neutral zone against Tampa can very quickly lead to a goal going up under the visitor half of the score sheet.
Up front, Boston needs to play Bruins hockey. They need to be hard and fast, attacking the defenseman on the forecheck, forcing turn overs and continually making Tampa look over their shoulders for the hit. If they can do this often and early, they will be able to force Tampa slip ups in their own end, gain possession and through a consistent and sturdy possession game, create quality chances.
The possession game will be critical; Tampa often looks to apply pressure in numbers on the puck to win battles and begin quick transitions. Boston will need to watch for this and either 1. look to win the puck quickly and move it to the open man forcing Tampa to scramble or 2. provide the additional support to counter the measure and maintain possession before generating chances. The battles on the boards tonight will be huge- expect Lucic, Bergeron and Marchand to be key in this area.
In the end though, the game will be won in front of the net. The question of, can the Bruins get enough traffic in front of the Tampa net to get screen goals, tip ins and rebounds will need to be answered to determine the outcome. If Boston can do this, then they have the ability to send themselves on to the Cup Finals. This will be in the end a game of chances- can Boston generate enough chances and get down low to finish them without giving up enough power plays and mistakes for Tampa to capitalize.
60 minutes of play are in front of these two teams. 60 minutes that I hope lead to at least 2 more games this season in Boston. The time to execute is now. The time to fight for everything is now. The question is, who is going to make the most of tonight and make sure that they push on to face Vancouver. Bruins fans, let's hope that this team can do what needs to be done tonight.
The London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League held their annual Awards Banquet Saturday in London and the Boston Bruins' top prospect Jared Knight was recognized with three awards.
Knight was selected with the 32nd pick, acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Phil Kessel deal, in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and after a stellar season in which he put up career high in points while continuing to improve all aspects of his game, has shot up our list to become the Bruins top prospect.
Knight finished his year in Providence for the AHL Bruins, after Owen Sound eliminated the Knights.
After leading the Knights with 70 points (25 goals and 45 assists) Knight picked up the award as leading scorer for the 2010-2011 season. But Knight became a leader in so many ways beyond just point production this season. Some of it was forced, but much of it came naturally.
After the trade deadline, when the Knights traded away most of their veterans for draft picks, Knight automatically became one of the vets on the squad. And no one stepped up to the plate quite like he did. Knight took charge on the ice and led his squad into the playoffs where they took the eventual OHL Champion Owen Sound Attack to six games.
Knight can play in any situation, be it a checking role, the go to guy, power play, penalty kill and always with no questions about what the coaching staff is asking him to do. He does it to the best of his ability and leads by example in doing so.
Knight often gets compared to a young Mark Recchi in many circles. When aske about that comparison, he responded, “I don’t know about that; Mark Recchi is an unbelievable player but I don’t think anyone can play like him. But I do watch him very closely when he plays and try to add some of the little things he does. You can learn a lot by just watching him on the ice. He’s not the biggest guy, but he battles out there and that’s what makes him one of the best.”
It wasn't pretty, it wasn't their best game, but it got the job done. While Tampa came out against what Julien would describe as a tight Bruins team with speed and attack, the Black and Gold were able to weather a storm and, as good teams do, found a way to win.
The 3rd period was a flutter- chances both ways but with a majority of the pressure coming from Tampa in their attempt to tie up the game. For most, the action was hectic and nerve wracking. For Thomas though, it was just another game and one where his teammates made plays that kept Tampa from gaining too much momentum and allowed him to just play his game.
After the game Boucher was filled with praise for Thomas, albeit with hopes of different outcomes in the future. In his eyes, Thomas did tonight what he's been doing all year- to be surprised by it is to have not paid enough attention to his performances. To Boucher and the Lightning, Thomas is an enigma- and one they hope to solve in game 6 if they hope to extend the delay of their tee times. If it takes 50, 60 shots to get enough by him in game 6 well then that's what they'll look to do. Don't expect the Bruins to give up those opportunities easily.
In Claude Julien's mind, game 6 will be one where the boys will come out on their toes and attack Tampa, attempting to put them on their heels and have them play the tightened game that the Bruins exhibited in the first. The Bruins are out looking for the kill after this one and with 2 strong showings in prior series, this looks like a team that knows where to stick the dagger.
Game 5 though was a game where the lack of scoring by Tampa early on seemed to help the Bruins swing the momentum in the 2nd. After 2 successful penalty kills, a sorry Nathan Horton hit the ice to redeem himself and that he did, taking a Lucic pass in the slot for a one timer past Smith. The play was followed a few minutes later by a second Bruins goal- this time to frustrated Marchand would find a pass at the far post from Patrice Bergeron, his first of this series. From then on the Bruins were in the game and looking to get themselves up in the series.
In the 3rd the Bruins were able to do what they weren't able to in game 4- they were able to keep up their intensity and play a back and forth game with Tampa so that the momentum could never completely shift. Tampa looked to find weak spots in the Bruins armor- particularly by inserting Stamkos, Vinny and St Louis on the 3rd line to match with Seguin but Julien was ready for it and looked to the team's deadline acquisition, Rich Peverley. All 3 lines were able to find success in shutting down Tampa and in the end, it would be Peverley pushing play down ice for the empty netter and the 3-2 series lead.
With game 6 coming on Wednesday night, the team is focused and aimed to finish things off. They'll take tomorrow off and travel to Florida and begin preparing for what could be Tampa's last game of the year- a game that will exhibit a Tampa team with their backs to the wall and ready to do whatever they need to to win. Expect both teams to come out hard early- to crash the net hard, to fight hard for pucks and to play a game as close to perfection as possible.
For Tampa, the key will be to attack early, to force Boston to have to play from behind and from there, capitalize on any mistakes Boston can make. If they go behind early they know it'll be an up hill battle against a team that is strong defensively and that has Thomas in net. If that is the case though, they'll do exactly what needs to be done- crash the net and make life crazy for Thomas- then pray.
For Boston, expect the team to come out looking to play physical, force turnovers, and turn the play around quickly so that Tampa cannot setup in the neutral zone. When the Bruins can attack 2 v 2 at the blue line, there isn't much Tampa can do. And when they gain the zone, they have the ability to control possession and therefore play. At the end of the day though, Boston needs to be quicker and sharper in order to execute such a game as any mistake they make can lead to a Tampa goal.
And for both teams, look for the best players to be their best. The Lucic-Krejci-Horton line will need to be big. Bergeron's line will come out strong and 37 will likely be the best player on the ice again. Thomas, Seidenberg, Thomas- all of them will be needed to perform in order to push this team to the Cup Finals. St Louis, Lecavalier and Stamkos though won't be quick to go away. So grab some popcorn because in less than 48 hours we're going to see one hell of a dog fight.
The 2nd period was a better period- not a great period- but one that got the job done. Following a dismal 1st period, the 2nd opened looking much like the same as Nathan Horton finished his carry over minutes before proceeding to be sent directly back into the box for an interference call. The Bruins would continue their success on the PK killing off both calls and then forcing a freeze in the Tampa end.
The following face off as predicted would prove critical as a Krejci win lead to Lucic cycling on the boards before feathering a pass to Horton high in the slot for a one timer and the game tying goal.
Tampa would look to neutralize the swing at this point while the Bruins attempted to bring more heat to the game. A mix up in the neutral zone between Marchand and Malone would lead to 4 on 4 play. With the extra space on the ice, Rich Peverley looked to utilize his speed and drive wide to the net. Eric Brewer was forced to take the penalty in slowing him down and 4 on 3 play would ensue.
The Bruins still faced similar issues as they had in the first though- their game was not sharp enough as outlet passes, dump ins, and neutral zone communication slowed down entry and wasted valuable power play minutes. But what they did do was execute just enough to take the lead in this.
With the period winding down, Chara attempted to make something happen and worked across the neutral zone and gained the blue line before passing the puck along to Patrice Bergeron. Bergeron, the consistent contributor to the Bruins took the puck with his head up and sent a bullet of a pass to the far post where a crashing Brad Marchand put home the Bruin's 2nd of the game.
Both teams fought in the final 4 minutes to take over the momentum, setting up what looks to be one bad dog fight of a 3rd period. Watch for both teams to come out extremely hard and fast to control action. Tampa will be more aggressive, looking to pressure the Bruins defensemen deep in their own end. The Bruins on the other hand will look to counter by bringing a forward low and attempting to have a series of quick passes that lead to speed going into the neutral zone. The speed could be a difference maker and force Tampa on their heels.
In the offensive end the Bruins will look to take the space they can create through the neutral zone and have it lead into offensive zone possessions. From there the aim will be to crash the net and bring traffic to Smith. Smith still has been relatively left alone in this game only having faced 12 shots. The Bruins will look to make life difficult for him early.
At the end of this, the best lines for each team will be looked at to produce. Expect this to be a fight of a 3rd and a period of exciting, enjoyable hockey.
