| 07 June 2011
While an 8 - 1 win can typically make any player on a winning team look good, the efforts of Daniel Paille in Game 3 should not be overlooked. The Bruin's fourth liner and penalty kill specialist came into the first game at home having seen limited ice time in the two prior efforts. While it looked to be the same to start tonight, the injury to Nathan Horton along with the number of penalties the Bruins were forced to kill off made him take stage front and center.
"I Just try to keep mentally prepared and ready for every shift" the winger said after the game, "and at the end there I tried not to get too tired."
While joking, Paille's comments have been right on with what he's been doing and the amount he worked tonight. Along with Gregory Campbell, the two were able to continuously hamper the Vancouver power play, keeping it from entering the zone on many attempts and forcing play back to their defensive end- many of times with chances of their own.
The momentum that the two brought in the early penalty kills of the second gave the Bruin's a spark and rookie winger Brad Marchand would ignite it with his short handed goal. The specialty team efforts wouldn't stop there though as Paille made sure to even it up with a short handed goal of his own half way through the third. His efforts would also lead to the Bruin's seventh goal late in the 3rd as he picked up the puck behind the net and attacked the net with it, giving a rebound for Chris Kelly to put home.
In the end, Paille would be a second shy of 15 minutes of ice time- the most he's played in quite some time. While he may not be looked to do similarly in the coming match ups (especially since Julien will look to not require him to kill 5 and a half minutes of power play time), his presence shows a mind set of the Bruins to be prepared, to work hard and for everyone up and down the line up to contribute when they get the chance. With this series looking like it might go the distance, it will take efforts from guys up and down the line up- like Paille's tonight, to bring Stanley home.
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