BOSTON — The Stanley Cup playoffs often come with plenty of emotion, especially after close games.
Such was the case Saturday night after the Boston Bruins beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 in Game 5 of the second round to take a 3-2 series lead at TD Garden.
Columbus potted three goals in the third, tying the game with just over six minutes to play. It looked as if we were destined for yet another overtime playoff game, but Boston never let up and David Pastrnak netted the game-winner with just 1:28 left.
The Blue Jackets had some ample chances at the end of the game, particularly Cam Atkinson’s opportunity with mere seconds remaining. But between Tuukka Rask (33 saves) standing tall and Charlie McAvoy making a diving stop, the chances fell futile.
Columbus now finds itself on the brink of elimination, and head coach John Tortorella thinks the two teams will be back on TD Garden ice to settle the series.
“We’ll be back here for Game 7,” Tortorella said. “… We found some lines that were going to give us some offense and we’ll get ready to play Game 7.”
But what exactly gives him the confidence to say that?
“Because we will.”
In order to get to a do-or-die Game 7, the Blue Jackets first much stave off elimination in Game 6 on Monday night at Nationwide Arena.
