The B’s are coming off their worst performance of the playoffs, as they were dominated in a 4-0 debacle at the TD Garden on Monday. They know they need to increase their level of desperation and play hungry hockey if they are to finally finish off the Flyers, who are down 3-2.
"Everyone always says the fourth [win] is the hardest, and it’s proving to be like that right now," said forward Milan Lucic. "I’m not going to take anything away from [the Flyers]. They’ve played great the last two games. But we haven’t played nearly up to par to where we need to be to win that fourth game."
WHEN AND WHERE
Bruins vs. Flyers
Game 6 Eastern Conference semifinals
May 12, 2010, 8 p.m. (NESN)
Wachovia Center, Philadelphia
HEAD TO HEAD
The Bruins lead the series 3-2 after a 4-0 loss in Game 5.
The Bruins beat the Flyers 2-1 in overtime in the 2010 Winter Classic and were 2-1-1 against them this season. Philadelphia won 4-3 in a shootout at the Wachovia Center on Oct. 22 and 3-1 at the TD Garden on Dec. 14. The Bruins' other win over the Flyers was a 5-1 victory at Philadelphia on March 11.
The Bruins and Flyers are meeting in the playoffs for just the fifth time in their postseason histories, and for the first time since 1978. Each team has won two of the previous four series, all of which took place over a five-year span in the 1970s (1974, 1976, 1977, 1978).
GOALTENDING MATCHUP
Bruins
Tuukka Rask is 7-4 with a 2.53 GAA and a .914 save percentage in the postseason. Rask made 31 saves in a 4-0 loss in Game 5 and has lost two straight for the first time since since he went 0-4-2 from Jan. 4 to Feb. 6. Rask was 22-12-5 this season with a league-leading 1.97 GAA and a .931 save percentage to go with five shutouts.
Tim Thomas has not played in the playoffs so far. He was 16-18-8 with a 2.55 GAA, a .915 save percentage and five shutouts this season.
Flyers
Michael Leighton relieved the injured Brian Boucher in Game 5 and made 14 saves. Leighton was 17-9-2 with a 2.83 GAA and a .903 save percentage in the regular season.
Johan Backlund has not played in the playoffs. He was 0-1-0 with a 3.00 GAA and a .917 save percentage this season.
Boucher is 6-4 with a 2.33 GAA and a .915 save percentage in the playoffs. Boucher was 9-18-3 with a 2.76 GAA and a .899 save percentage in the regular season. He had one shutout.
PROJECTED LINEUPS
Bruins
Forwards
Daniel Paille–Patrice Bergeron–Mark Recchi
Milan Lucic–Marc Savard–Miroslav Satan
Blake Wheeler–Vladimir Sobotka–Michael Ryder
Steve Begin–Trent Whitfield–Shawn Thornton
Defensemen
Zdeno Chara–Johnny Boychuk
Matt Hunwick–Dennis Wideman
Andrew Ference–Mark Stuart
Goaltenders
Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas
Flyers
Forwards
Simon Gagne–Mike Richards–Daniel Carcillo
Scott Hartnell–Danny Briere–Ville Leino
James van Riemsdyk–Claude Giroux–Arron Asham
Daroll Powe–Blair Betts–Andreas Nodl
Defensemen
Matt Carle–Chris Pronger
Kimmo Timonen–Braydon Coburn
Ryan Parent–Lukas Krajieck
Goaltenders
Michael Leighton
Johan Backlund
STAT SHEET
Bruins
- Patrice Bergeron leads the Bruins with 11 points in the playoffs. He had a five-game points streak snapped in Game 5.
- Miroslav Satan and Dennis Wideman are second on the team in points with 10. Satan has no points in his last two games after registering a point in the previous six.
- Mark Recchi leads the team with six goals in the playoffs.
Flyers
- Simon Gagne scored the game-winner in the Flyers' 5-4 overtime win in Game 4 and had two goals in their 4-0 win in Game 5. Gagne has five points in six playoff games.
- Ville Leino had a goal and an assist in Game 5. He has three points in his last two games and five in his last four.
- Matt Carle had another assist in Game 5 and now has five helpers in his last two games.
BLACK AND BLUE
Bruins
- David Krejci is out for the playoffs with a dislocated right wrist suffered in Game 3.
- Adam McQuaid suffered a lower-body injury in Game 3 and, according to head coach Claude Julien, is day-to-day. He has skated the last three days.
- Dennis Seidenberg had surgery for a lacerated flexor carpi radialis tendon in his left forearm in early April and is out for three to four more weeks. Seidenberg has skated the last four days but his timetable is still the same
- Marco Sturm suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee 21 seconds into Game 1 and will miss the remainder of the playoffs.
Flyers
- Claude Giroux has an upper-body injury he suffered in Game 5, and he did not skate on Tuesday. He is still expected to play on Wednesday.
- Brian Boucher is out indefinitely after suffering a sprained left MCL in Game 5.
- Jeff Carter is out indefinitely after foot surgery.
- Mike Rathje is out for the season with hip and back injuries.
- Ian Laperriere is out for the playoffs with a brain contusion and concussion.
- Ray Emery is out for the season after hip surgery.
OUTLOOK
Look for much more tenacity, fore-checking, hustle and physical play from the B's. That’s what has worked for the Flyers in the last two games, and that’s what works for many teams that win in the playoffs.
It's time to play like there is no tomorrow, or there might not be come Saturday after a possible Game 7 on Friday night.
