BRUINS UP 3-1 AND HEADING HOME

I hope Detroit enjoyed the extra thirteen plus minutes of playoff hockey tonight because they may not see it again for another 360 days.  After losing game one on their home ice, the Bruins have won the next three games to go up 3-1.  They are now heading home with an opportunity to end the series on their home ice Saturday afternoon. 

After being out shot 15-5 in the first period, the Bruins shifted it up a gear.  Having been down two goals with 30 minutes left to play in regulation, the Bruins cut into the Red Wings' lead when Torey Krug scored a goal 11 seconds into a 13 second power play.   

Milan Lucic would get his second playoff goal this season when he tied the game up early in the third.  The rest of the period would keep hockey fans on the edge of their seats as they saw multiple scoring opportunities go unrealized.  Most notable was Marchand's open net misfire.  What made it worse for Marchand is that it was his second open net miss of the evening.   

As usual, Tuukka Rask was impressive in net as he saved 35 of 37 shots on net.  For this year's playoffs he now has a .96 GAA and a .966 save percentage.  Jonas Gustavsson did a fine job filling in at net for ill Jimmy Howard.  Gustavsson faced 40 shots and saved all but 3 of them.  Had the Bruins not scored when they did in overtime, there's a good chance he would have faced upwards of 20 shots in that time period.

Jarome Iginla would get credit for the game winner in overtime. Dougie Hamilton assisted on both Iginla and Lucic's goals. Although his penalty led to a Red Wing goal, Justin Florek played another quality game for the Bruins.

I know things are tough in Detroit, but there was an awful lot of empty seats. Another awful and unexpected tactic implemented by the Red Wings was all that stick grabbing. I can see doing it in a dire situation or if you wanted to start a fight, but several times per period? Come on.