BOSTON — It worked out fine for them in the end, but the wheels really came off for the Boston Bruins on Saturday night.
The Bruins had established a 2-0 lead early in the third period of Game 5 of their Stanley Cup playoffs second-round matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets. But after the two sides traded blows a few times, the Jackets had worked the game to a 3-3 tie with 6:02 to play. The tying goal, a missile from Dean Kukan, came just 1:51 after Columbus had pulled back within one.
But the Bruins showed plenty of resolve, with David Pastrnak scoring the game-winning goal with 1:28 left to give the B’s the 4-3 victory and 3-2 series lead.
The Bruins really led themselves astray at points in the third, but the fact that they not only regrouped and prevented Columbus from scoring, but also got a goal of their own is a testament to their resilience.
After the game, defenseman Brandon Carlo, who played a key role in the winning goal, shared the message the team had for itself on the bench after Kukan’s tying goal.
“Just take a breath and move on to the next shift,” Carlo said. “You can’t control everything out there on the ice, so just continue to play the game style that got us to that 3-2 lead and work from there.”
Simple as the message might have been, it clearly worked. And though the Bruins probably would rather not keep putting themselves in those tight situations, it must be some consolation for them to know they can get out of it.
