In that 5-3 win at Buffalo on Saturday — a game in which the B's came from behind twice to tie the game before finally taking the lead in the third period with three goals — Boston showed loads of resilience and guts, forces this team has been criticized for lacking this season. So with that aspect of their game back, here are our three keys to success for Game 3.
1. Make the TD Garden home sweet home.
The Bruins struggled at home this season, going just 17-17-6 in what are supposed to be the friendly confines of TD Garden (the Bruins also won at Fenway Park on New Year's Day, which puts their home mark on the season at 18-17-6). By bringing the series back to Boston tied at one, the Bruins now have the home-ice advantage and they need to take advantage of it. The TD Garden will be rocking on Patriots' Day, after an always-festive marathon celebration, and the Bruins will have the chance to finish the day off with a big playoff win. But there is also the danger that they feed off the crowd in the wrong way and get away from the simple style of play that tends to bring them success. The first 10 minutes will be huge and the Bruins need to channel the positive energy into goals.
2. Get the power play going.
An Achilles' heel all season, the power play is 1-for-4 so far in this series. If the Bruins can get an early lead in Game 3, Buffalo may succumb to frustration and that could result in more man advantages for the Black and Gold. There's no better time than the present to capitalize and score some power-play goals, hopefully putting the game away early.
3. Score the first goal.
On that note — using the power play to pad their lead — the Bruins must get the lead first. Believe it or not, until the third period of Game 2, they had yet to even hold a lead in this series against the Sabres. They have yet to score the first goal, and with 17,565 crazed Bruins fans cheering them on, the Bruins can finally set the tempo by lighting the lamp first.
