After another slow start to their game, the Bruins bounced back and put themselves in a position to win Game 4 and even the series at two games a piece ahead of Sunday’s crucial Game 5.
But with a missed call behind the Bruins’ net that led to the tying goal and an overtime goal by the Lightning, the Bruins are instead facing elimination in Game 5.
“We’ll just go there and go game-by-game,… said Tuukka Rask. “Try to go get the win there, come back home and win here, then game 7. That’s pretty much the only option.…
Before the first period was halfway through, the Bruins were behind the eight ball once again, trailing 2-0 after goals by Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, his first of the series. David Pastrnak’s pretty goal gave the Bruins a late first period push as they entered the second trailing by a goal.
The Bruins came out in the second and played their best period of the series. A 20-second span shortly into the period gave the Bruins a ray of hope and gave the appearance that Game 4 would be theirs.
First was a Patrice Bergeron point shot that found the back of the net, tying things at two after a pretty give-and-go with Torey Krug. Then, with TD Garden buzzing and momentum on the Bruins side, Rask did that thing that many say he doesn’t do: make a big save.
Steven Stamkos found some space and broke free of the Bruins defense, collected a pass in the neutral zone and raced in all alone on Rask, only to be stopped by Rask with a dandy of a glove save. It was a moment that had the Bruins held on and won, would have been looked back upon as the game changer.
After a key save like that, in a key moment, the Bruins were feeling good about their game, and it showed as the Bruins took the momentum from the Rask save and turned it into their first lead since Game 1 with a shorthanded tally by Bergeron six minutes into the third.
With things finally heading in the Bruins direction, it was another questionable call, or lack of a call, that did the Bruins in. Carrying the puck behind his own goal, Charlie McAvoy took a spill after a hold, or trip, or whatever you want to call it by Kucherov. There was no whistle blown and seconds later the game was tied at three after an absolute rocket of a shot by Stamkos.
“Very,… [frustrating] said McAvoy. “We battled back. We were down 2-0, not where we wanted to be but that’s where we were. A lot of heart in this room, we battle all the way back and we feel like we are in a very good position and to see it slip away the way it did, it sucks. It’s unfortunate really.…
The seven remaining minutes of regulation provided no winner, leading to the Bruins first overtime game of the playoffs. The extra frame lasted just three minutes before Dan Girardi—rather easily—moved Brian Gionta out of the way and tipped an Alex Killorn pass past Rask, giving the Lightning the 3-1 series lead.
In what has been the theme of the series for the Bruins, they were a frustrated bunch after Game 4. They know their start to the game wasn’t up to par and a key in their loss, but they also were not too happy with the play that led to Stamkos’ equalizer.
“Yeah, you know, we had the lead. It was a very blatant grab on Chuckie’s [McAvoy’s] shoulder,… said Brad Marchand. “Turned into a goal, so you know, the missed calls that are costing goals and games, you know, it’s unfortunate that they can’t get it right, so you know, hopefully they can fix that.…
As much as the Bruins thought it was a clear as day penalty, Jon Cooper and the Lightning felt a bit differently about the play.
“Well to be honest the fans can influence a lot of things. It’s the refs reffing the game, they’re the professionals that are doing it,… said Cooper.
“Whether it’s in Boston or Tampa or wherever, the fans when they scream all of a sudden, it’s well there must have been something but there wasn’t anything in our opinion. He [Kucherov] skated and [Charlie] McAvoy got crossed up and turned it over and that was one of our things we’ve talked about and we’ve had success with.…
Although Bruce Cassidy admitted he didn’t want to have to talk about the officiating once again, he was left with no choice after Game 4. Although it worked in their favor with Bergeron’s shorthanded goal, Cassidy couldn’t figure out how Noel Acciari’s hook on Victor Hedman was indeed an actual hook.
"To me, you know, the calls – you look at the [Noel] Acciari penalty, it’s unbelievable that the league gives you directive at the start of the year that if you’re going to go at the stick, you’ve got to go under the stick and not on the hands, over top the hands or,… said Cassidy.
“He goes under the stick a foot from his hands, and you’ve got a six-foot-five guy that, I think, really sold it, and I think the officials have to be on top of that. They’ve got to be on top of that call because it’s not an infraction. He lifted his stick as he’s been directed to do.…
The Bruins will tell you that this was one of the better games they’ve played this series, and they’re not wrong. However, there were still many glaring issues in Game 4.
In were Gionta and Ryan Donato, mixing things up on the third line. As has been the case all series long, there was no production from the third line, and the line was the one on the ice as Girardi raced in from the blueline, parking himself on the doorstep of Rask for the overtime winner.
Then there is the five-on-five issue. The Bruins have not scored a five-on-five goal since Krug’s second period strike in Game 2, a span of 127 minutes and 22 seconds.
Speaking of Krug, the defenseman left Game 4 after an awkward leg-first crash into the boards. Krug left TD Garden Friday night on crutches and in a walking boot.
The hot topic after Game 4 however was Marchand. For the second time this series, Marchand was seen on-ice licking an opposing player. Ryan Callahan was the victim this time.
“All I’m going to say is there is absolutely no place in our game for that. I don’t get it, I don’t understand it, I don’t,… said Cooper.
Callahan compared the licking to spitting.
"I don't know what the difference is between that and spitting in someone's face," said Callahan. "I hope the league looks at it. I don't know if there is discipline for spitting in someone's face. But for me it's worse, if not the same."
Marchand said the lick came after Callahan repeatedly punched him in the face.
“Well he punched me four times in the face, so you know, he just kept getting close, nothing big,… said Marchand.
After being told Callahan compared licking to spitting, Marchand had a simple answer: “That’s cute, good for him.…
Stat of the night: When trailing 2-1 in the series and Game 4 at home, the Bruins are now 7-10 in franchise history.
Up next: A do or die Game 5 for the Bruins. Puck drops Sunday afternoon at 3:00PM in Tampa Bay.