Regardless of some wild finishes, to say that this Eastern Conference Finals showdown between the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning has gone surprise-less through four games wouldn't be as crazy as it sounds. Despite the fashion it was done in, be it the B's chasing
Dwayne Roloson in Game 2 or letting a three-goal edge slip out of their grasp in Game 4, the teams head back to the Hub with two wins a side.
A split in Boston. A split in Tampa. This story has panned out just as many expected it to, and now, we're left with a best of three.
BATTLES AT THE DOT: A TALE OF TWO EXTREMES
Out West, it's clear that the winner of the games between the Canucks and Sharks will be determined by who stays out of the box the most. So, you want to know the key to winning a game in the series currently taking center stage on the Atlantic? Simply put, establish your dominance right off the face-offs. Literally.
As demonstrated by the Lightning's ability to fluster Boston with a relentless 41-26 edge in face-offs in Game 1, the Bruins were able to return the favor in a game two where
Rich Peverley's 15-20 edge at the dot set the tone in a series-tying victory. The Bruins continued this stretch in Tampa, taking a series lead behind a Game 3 effort propelled by a 37-28 edge in favor of the Black and Gold. And if you haven't noticed the trend developing here, what did Game 4 present?
A massive 39-26 advantage for the Bolts at the dot. Boston fumbled behind an 8-loss effort from
Chris Kelly, topped by a 9-loss showing from
David Krejci, while guys like
Vinny Lecavalier and
Steven Stamkos put on a clinic for a combined 23 wins off the draw.
Am I looking into the numbers too closely? Well, it'd have to be a pretty damn funky coincidence for it to happen four times in a row, wouldn't you say?
THE PRESS-BOX: THE NEXT STEP FOR TOMAS KABERLE?
The transition out of blue and white and into black and gold hasn't been easy on infamous puck-mover
Tomas Kaberle. Forget about easy, it's been damn near impossible. Arriving to Boston with the (perhaps premature) label of power-play savior, whether he wanted the title or not, the postseason has been a marvelous dud in terms of production from the 32-year-old.
He's looked hesitant, lost, and has become one of the Bruins' biggest liabilities when on the ice. Something shown by the ice-time, or lack thereof, that's been dealt to the Czech blue-liner. Despite a series that's seen him match his point total from the first two rounds (three helpers) in just four games, the minutes of Kaberle have been on a steady declined.
Logging 17:29 in Game 1, 15:25 in Game 2, 12:41 in Game 3, and a mere 11:35 in Saturday's loss, it's no secret that Kaberle's gaffes within the defensive zone and lack of accountability in terms of generating offense from the B's back-end have seen him progressively phased out of Boston's gameplan.
Posing the question, is a trip upstairs as a healthy scratch the next possible solution for Kaberle?
While we'd like to think that each contribution from Kaberle begins the 'turning point' for his woeful playoff run, the truth is that the man brought into Boston for a hefty price at the deadline has been abysmally bad. Like, benching-worthy bad.
He's failed to help a power-play that's stumbled to a 4-for-52 marker through 15 playoff games, a laughable 7.7 conversion-rate, with the sad excuse of 'good cycling' becoming a good enough reason to swallow not scoring.
These frustrations, stretching from Kabs' struggles in his own end to within the attacking zone, have led many in the Hub to call for the return of B's rookie
Steve Kampfer.
Kampfer, who has not played in a game since March 31, registered 10 points in 38 games with the Bruins in 2010-11, three of which coming on the man-advantage. Not gifted in experience, those 38 games being his lone experience within the NHL ranks, the 22-year-old is gifted with a set of wheels that make him a two-way threat along with a beyond-his-age knack for picking the opportune times to join the rush.
Something Kaberle, for all his hype and fame, has not shown a gift for.
IF YOU'RE GUY BOUCHER, WHO GETS THE NOD: ROLI THE GOALIE OR MIKE SMITH?
When does riding the goalie that got you there take a backseat to the goaltender that's simply dialed in? For
Guy Boucher, that time could/should be now. Yes, the 41-year-old Roloson got them to this stage. But without
Mike Smith, the truth is that the Lightning come into tonight on the cusp of elimination.
Holding down the fort with 21-saves in Game 4, the 29-year-old Smith, highly criticized for his inconsistent play over the years with the Bolts, it was yet another strong relief appearance for the Tampa Bay goaltender.
Improving his mark to 29 stops on 29 shots against, compared to Roloson's cringe-worthy .862 save-percentage through four games of this series, don't hold your breath to see Smith leading the Bolts out.
Boucher's proven himself to be a loyal guy, and for better or worse, it appears that he's sticking by his gun with Roloson. But just how long is the leash of a guy who allowed three goals on nine shots in his last outing? One has to wonder.
NEWS, NOTES, AND OTHER RAMBLINGS
This is a game that the Bruins could certainly create some momentum with if utilized properly. Playing in front of what's sure to be a thunderous TD Garden crowd, the Bruins possess the benefit of final change, making their ability to take advantage of what can be a flat-footed Tampa Bay defense.
Held to minimal scoring chances after being keyed on by the Lightning's top pairing in games 3 and 4, look for a potentially big night from both
Michael Ryder and
Tyler Seguin as the Lightning simply can't match the B's forwards on every face-off. Is banking on the contributions from a nauseatingly-inconsistent winger and a 19-year-old kid a bad idea? Normally I'd say yes, but given the way the top-line has been stymied by Tampa, it's got to be something the B's tinker with.
(Non-Bruins related news up ahead here. Heed with caution.)
Am I the only person really beginning to like
Joe Thornton? Sure, the San Jose captain isn't lighting the lamp at will, giving the plethora of Jumbo Joe haters plenty of reason to ridicule, but no. 19 is doing the thing he's been criticized as being incapable of: Lead.Sporting cuts on his face like a true playoff warrior, the veteran of 107 career playoff games has really impressed with a tenacity that's been questioned or known to disappear when things get chippy.
Granted I didn't get to see Sunday's contest (I had to see my beloved Cubs play the slightly-less-beloved-but-still-content-with Sox at Fenway at least once this weekend), but Joe's attitude and approach throughout these playoffs do give me this feeling that the Sharks aren't ready to die just yet.
That being said, if the Sedin's are putting up multi-point efforts up at will, I don't like the chances of the Sharks. Or the Bruins. Or the Lightning.
Follow me on Twitter, shoot me an email at [email protected], or become Facebook friends with the HockeyBuzz Bruins profile for links, interactions, and updates. 
Boston Bruins Blogger •Bruins Feature Columnist • 
Join the Discussion:
»