Bruins/Islanders: Game 1

And the Match is set. Several days ago it was cemented that in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs the Bruins would square off again the New York Islanders. Who had just come off a high contested series against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, who they vanquished in six games. The Islanders at times this season gave the Bruins fits. Of course, that was before the injury to their captain Anders Lee and the trade deadline which was a game-changer for the Bruins. Game With a fury of chances from either side, no one manages to find the back of the net until almost twelve minutes in, on the powerplay, Beauvillier tips one in from Dobson, to give the Islanders 1-0 lead. Bruins answer back on a powerplay of their own with 24 seconds left in the period. When David Krecji kicks the puck out to Pastrnak at the right point, putting it home for the game-tying goal, 1-1 to end the first. Eleven minutes gone in the second, Bergeron finds a rebound out front that he sends out to passionate in the same spot, for the same result, his second goal of the game, on a diving attempt by the Islanders netminder,  to put the Bruins ahead 2-1. Not a minute and a half later, Pelech re-ties the game for the Isles on a bomb from way out, 2-2. For periods of time, it felt like the Bruins were being outdone by the Islanders' forecheck. Six minutes later Charlie McAvoy put any doubters to rest, on a slapshot from David Krejci to put the Bruins ahead 3-2. David Pasternak completes his second career playoff hat trick with a little more than 4 minutes left in regulation when he picks off a pass in the neutral zone that he brings it up ice, straight down main street, creating time and space for his third goal of the game, as the Bruins start to pull away 4-2. Taylor Hall puts a big, bright, shiny bow on it, with the empty net tuck with a minute and a half left in regulation for the eventual lopsided 5-2 victory in front of the raucous, full capacity Boston crowd, the largest of its kind thus far in the NHL this season.