Three Storylines to watch as New York Islanders look to eliminate Boston Bruins
These are the storylines to focus on as the New York Islanders look to finish off the Boston Bruins tonight.
It is crunch time for the Boston Bruins who will look to avoid elimination in the Second Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the New York Islanders, who will be hoping to clinch the series on home ice at Nassau Coliseum later (7:30 p.m. ET).
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The Isles boast a 3-2 series lead after winning Game 5 by a score of 5-4, and it appears as though they have gotten hot at the perfect time with momentum now firmly on their side.
After finishing off the Carolina Hurricanes in five games on Tuesday night, the winners of the Islanders – Bruins series will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Semifinals, with the greatest prize in all of sports looming larger and larger.
And, with so much at stake, it will sure be one hell of an atmosphere at the Coliseum as the Islanders attempt to get the job done in Game 6 on home ice, while the Bruins will look to stay alive and they will be helped in that cause by the fact that goaltender Tuukka Rask is good to go after being pulled in Game 5.
It is all set up to be an absolute doozy on Long Island and, ahead of faceoff, we decided to take a look at some of the most compelling storylines to keep an eye on in what is a postseason showdown with plenty on the line for both teams…
Three Storylines to watch as the Boston Bruins look to stay alive against the New York Islanders
3. Will the “New York Saints” be in town or will luck balance out for the B’s?
Officiating has been a hot topic throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs so far, and it has especially come under the spotlight during this series, with things escalating somewhat in the wake of a controversial Game 5.
In case you missed it, Boston Bruins Head Coach Bruce Cassidy wasn’t exactly happy with the officiating crew in Game 5 after they awarded the New York Islanders the first three power plays of the game, which the visiting team cashed in on after going 3-for-4 on the night in total.
The Bruins, meanwhile, were given just three chances on the power play all night, leading to Cassidy to go to town on the performance of refs Francis Charron and Francois St. Laurent, while he called the Islanders the “New York Saints.”
"I think they sell a narrative over there that's more like the New York Saints, not the New York Islanders"
— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) June 8, 2021
Bruce Cassidy had a lot to say after the B's loss tonight pic.twitter.com/vedAMAaSXe
That outburst landed Cassidy a $25,000 fine from the NHL and those comments will likely also add another layer of spice to tonight’s proceedings, which should only increase the intensity of a game that will be played as though it was a full-blooded war.
Given what is on the line for both teams, it will be interesting to see if the officiating team will stand back and let certain calls go for both teams, or if the Islanders will come under heavy scrutiny with the league keen to avoid any more controversy in what is a win-or-go home game for the Bruins.
There is of course some gamesmanship to Cassidy’s comments in that the Boston Bench Boss will hope a seed has now been planted inside the minds of the officials, but it could also backfire against his team and the first five to 10 minutes of tonight’s contest will be fascinating to see how the refs decide to officiate the game.
2. Will Tuukka Rask rebound to save the Bruins?
It was a tough, tough Game 5 for Boston Bruins netminder Tuukka Rask who was pulled after giving up four goals on just 16 shots through two periods. Rookie Jeremy Swayman came in but, by then, the damage was already done and the B’s found themselves down 3-2 in the series and on the brink of elimination.
As bright as the future looks bright for Swayman, playing in a win-or-go home game is a lot to ask of a largely untested rookie, which is why the news that Rask will be good to go in Game 6 after recovering from nagging injuries is great news for Boston.
However, it remains to be seen just how fully healthy and ready to go Rask really is and, if he can’t rebound from his rough outing in Game 5, then it will be curtains for the Bruins come night’s end and it will be New York moving on.
Therefore, the B’s will need Rask to be at his vintage best in order to force a Game 7 and the defense will also have to be a lot better having failed to really protect and help out their goalie against an Islanders offense that isn’t exactly known for always being explosive.
And, with the Isles masters of their craft when it comes to keeping the puck out of their net, coupled with the brilliance of Semyon Varlamov this postseason, the pressure will be on Rask to do his job to ensure that his offense has a chance in what will no doubt be a close game with little in it.
Rask has delivered in big moments for the Boston Bruins before and, with the season on the line, the veteran will need to put Monday’s troubles behind him and instead muster up a performance for the ages to ensure that his team stays alive and can live another day for a Game 7.
1. Which stars will make the difference for their teams?
Hockey is a team game and that is never more so the case than in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but star power can make a big difference and the heavy hitters will have a major say in how Game 6 unfolds tonight.
We’ve seen throughout this series that, despite dominating at 5-on-5 for the majority of the time, the Boston Bruins haven’t been able to get the job done as opposed to the New York Islanders who have taken full advantage of the opportunities presented to them.
From Semyon Varlamov, who boasts a .925 Save Advantage and a 2.72 Goals Against Average so far this postseason, to stud forward Mathew Barzal who has scored in three straight games and has nine points in the Playoffs, the Isles have been getting contributions from their big-name players as well as up and down the lineup.
As for the Bruins, they threw no less than 44 shots on goal in Game 5 but couldn’t find a way to get the job done despite the Islanders scoring five times on just 19 shots, and they’ve also failed to execute on special teams which has cost them big time so far.
Goaltending has also been an issue for the Bruins as we discussed in the previous slide, while the Perfection Line has struggled to wreak their usual havoc at the Nassau Coliseum, with the B’s 1-5 in their last six games on Long Island, which isn’t a good omen for tonight’s contest.
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With all that considered, whichever team can get the very best out of their stars tonight with everything on the line will stand the better chance of claiming victory, so the New York Islanders will be hoping that Varlamov, Barzal and company can maintain their hot streak and clinch the series, while the Boston Bruins will need stellar goaltending and the likes of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak can put the team on their back and force a Game 7.