What do the Boston Bruins need to do to win their series against the Ottawa Senators?
Craig Custance: I'd suggest tightening things up defensively in front of goalie Tuukka Rask, but the Bruins are so banged up on defense that it might not be a reasonable request. As injured as they are, if the Bruins are going to come out of this series, it's going to be because Rask strapped them to his back and carried them. Friday's win was an impressive start for Rask, who was exceptional.
Joe McDonald: The Bruins have never won a seven-game series when they've trailed 3-1, but if Rask continues to play the way he did in the team's 3-2 double-overtime victory in Game 5 against the Ottawa Senators, Boston has a chance to force a Game 7. In the past, I've questioned Rask's ability to be a big-game performer. Well, with his team facing elimination, he was beyond outstanding, especially with 19 saves in the overtime periods.
Rob Vollman: Winning back-to-back games is certainly possible if Rask is at his best, and/or if Boston's top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak dominate the Senators to the same extent that they have been outplaying their opponents all season long. The Bruins also need to find a way to shut down Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson, who has really exposed Boston's depth issues -- but is that even possible?
Scott Burnside: Bruins center Bergeron is as tough as they come, so it wouldn't surprise me if at the end of this it turns out Bergeron is nursing some sort of injury. But I did think he looked out of sorts for much of Game 5, despite assisting on the first goal of the game. He took a strangely undisciplined penalty early in double-overtime that could have cost the Bruins their season. He's lucky it didn't, and I expect Bergeron to be better Sunday and to help the Bruins come all the way back in this series.
