Bruins/Islanders: Game 5

Ahead of game 5 of the Bruins Islanders playoff series, we saw the reinsertion of Karson Kuhlman in favor of the struggling Jake Debrusk. An attempt to add a spark to the bottom 6 forward group. In the first period, the Bruins did exactly that, playing the body and making life difficult for Islanders' defenders. So much so that, almost a minute and a half into the game, Pastrnak makes up for the glaring miss last game, putting home a slapper from beyond the point to give the Bruins the early 1-0 lead. The scrappy affair continues. Late in the period, Kuraly takes a soft slashing penalty that leads to the game-tying Islanders' goal with a little more than a minute left. Slightly more than four and a half minutes into the second period, the Bruins take a slew of bad penalties, the first of which results in Kyle Palmeri standing out front putting the Islanders ahead 2-1, again on the powerplay. About three minutes later, Brad Marchand finds the Bruins equalizer, a highlight-reel goal, skating through the Islanders' defense and across the crease, stuffing it in at the far end to tie the game at two. The exuberance is short-lived as the Bruins have a series of defensive collapses resulting in the next three unanswered Islanders' goals, 5-2 Isles. To start the third period, after giving up four goals on sixteen shots, Tuukka Rask is pulled in favor of rookie netminder, Jeremy Swayman. Three and half minutes into the third period, while on a powerplay of their own, the Bruins start to chip away on a feed to Pastrnak at the center of the left dot, a slapshot finding the back of the net, 5-3. More than half the period later, David Krecji furthers the Bruins effort on a backhand shot from Mike Riley, which Islanders goaltender Varlamov originally thought he had secured to inch it closer 5-4. The comeback attempt proves futile as the Bruins put a barrage of shots on goal as the clock expires to zero. The Islanders take a commanding 3-2 lead in the series. I think coach Cassidy's comments after the game pretty much summed up how most everyone felt about the officiating outside of Long Island. Heartbreak ridge Wednesday night.

Bruins/Capitals: Game 5

The Boston Bruins aimed to close out their first-round playoff series against the Washington Capitals with a victory in Game 5. Soon as the puck drops you get a feel and sense of desperation in the play of the capitals. We saw a flip of the script if you will, with Washington doubling up the Bruins with shots on goal. Much like previous games in the series, we saw a scoreless first period, with skill and talent at a premium. With about two and a half minutes gone and the second period, Morgan Riley feeds David Pastrnak who skates across the middle, splitting the defense, putting the puck in on the far edge, giving the Bruh ns the 1-0 advantage. A little less than 6 minutes remained in the second period when Pastrnak is tackled to the ice freeing up the puck to Morgan Riley who feeds the puck out front to Bergeron, who puts the puck home uncontested for the now 2-0 Bruins lead. 11 seconds into the third period, Conor Sheary of Washington returns the favor, cutting the Bruins lead in half, 2-1. Seven and a half minutes remain in regulation when Pastrnak attempts to corral a puck that goes through his skates and drops back to Bergeron, who is able to settle it and fires it in for his second goal of the night, 3-1 Bruins. After a valiant effort by Washington is called back on goaltender interference, the Boston Bruins claim victory in five games, eliminating the Washington Capitals from playoff contention while being outshot 41-19. The Bruins await the winner of the Pittsburgh Penguins/New York Islanders series