The Boston Bruins are facing elimination heading into Game 5 of their second-round series against the Florida Panthers. Although they got off to a good start in the first race, it was all downhill for the team from then on. There were some questionable (and I'm putting that lightly) officiating decisions, but at the end of the day, the Bruins weren't the better team in this series.
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There are some positives as we get closer to the game. Game 5 will be in Florida, but the Bruins have played their best games on the road so far in the postseason. Jeremy Swayman continues to be very solid in net and the team and fans should be very happy with him being their goaltender for the foreseeable future.
But overall, the Bruins need to really step up if they are to return to Boston and advance to Game 6. If we don't want bad officiating to affect us, we need to play better and make sure those calls don't become as big a factor as they did in Game 4. The team will need to be bold to win.
Brandon Carlo scores a goal
Brandon Carlo is arguably the Bruins' best defenseman this postseason, but I don't think there's much debate about that. The new father's energy has certainly been a factor in the play this series. He currently has two goals in four games, which is a huge number for a stay-at-home defenseman who only had four goals in 76 seasons. He never played more than six games during the regular season.
Including Carlo's goal in the Toronto series, he has three goals so far in the postseason, which feels like a match for his regular season total given his level of play. He's been doing all the right things on the ice to score in this series and it's showing. The Panthers are winning this series, despite Sergei Bobrovsky's goals, and probably not because of them. He hasn't been very strong in this series and Carlo's two goals show that.
The problem is that the Bruins are having trouble making shots. So the more shots a guy like Carlo can make from the blue line, the more likely he is to make them. He did it in Game 4, and I did it. I think there is a good chance that the same thing will happen in Game 5.
Game 5 goes into overtime
Despite what the shot count might suggest, Game 4 wasn't as lopsided as it seemed. If the Bruins are hungry and ready to go into Game 5, there's a very good chance it will go to overtime. That hasn't happened yet, but with two of the four regular season games going to overtime, it feels inevitable that they will play in this series as well.
What the Bruins have to be careful of is allowing too many goals to the Panthers in quick succession. In Boston's three losses in this series, they have given up two goals within five minutes. Given their own problems with scoring, if the team lets Florida score in Game 5 and falls behind, it will be difficult to crawl back to force overtime, let alone win. .
Still, the Bruins went into overtime twice in the first round, including Game 7 when they were on the brink of elimination. Boston won't go down quietly, and the Panthers are clearly a ferocious opponent. This will be a close game, probably a low-scoring game, and I think it's inevitable that it will go to at least one extra period.
Bruins come out on top
It's certainly a bold decision given their up-and-down performance throughout the postseason so far. The Bruins had some great moments, but also plenty of disappointing hockey. But I don't think they'll be out within five games. From Brad Marchand's injury to a questionable call in Game 4 to Swayman's great play, there's been a lot going on for the team over the past few days.
The Bruins have their backs against the wall, but I believe they will find a way to win this game, just like they did in Game 7 against Toronto. As mentioned above, the Panthers' goaltending didn't look particularly strong in this series. Taking more shots would help the Bruins a lot and could put a win within reach. He also needs to be more disciplined, reducing turnovers and staying outside the box.
Whether they can win Game 6 or Game 7, pull off a 3-1 come-from-behind victory and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals is another story. But I believe they will win Game 5 and take the series back to Boston in Game 6. It's also important to mention that Boston won all four of their regular season games, although the playoffs will be a completely different game. They have the ability to find a winning formula against this team and I think it will show in the next game.
Bruins must stick together
The Bruins have a lot to think about heading into Game 5, and Jim Montgomery needs to devise a plan to help his team get more shots on net. The team hasn't shot well throughout the postseason, and if they don't take shots, they can't score. The more shots a team can take against Bobrovsky, the more likely they are to extend this series.
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Even though the Panthers are the better team, the Bruins have been able to win games in this series. Swayman continues to play like an MVP at the net and needs to improve so that only the players in front of him can close down their zone and get shots on goal.
It's not like Boston has a chance of winning this game. As mentioned above, they have shown great potential in the postseason and are clearly coming off a great regular season. All you have to do is put it all together in time.
