3:00p ET, TD Garden
Boston, MA
TV: NBC
Radio: 97.1 The Ticket
Bruin Blog: Stanley Cup of Chowder
When it comes to today’s game, I think Graham said it best in his Game 4 recap:
Could be the last one of the season. Could be the start of something awesome. Could just be delaying the inevitable. No matter what, it’s been a fun ride this year.
It has been a fun ride this year, but it’s not time to eulogize this team just yet. Do we all know deep down where this series and this season is most likely headed?
Sure we do.
But do we suppress that deep down feeling just because we want to believe that just maybe there’s a chance the Red Wings not only live to see another day, but thrive to see another week and maybe more?
Absolutely.
It’s not probable, but there’s a chance. This is a Red Wings team that has scrapped and clawed it’s way into the postseason. This is a Red Wings team that was left for dead after the Olympic break. This is a Red Wings team that has seen 400+ man games lost and enough groin injuries for a lifetime. This Red Wings team has overcome the odds before, so why not one more time?
It just seems fitting that if this underdog team is going to win anything, they’re going to do it with the odds stacked against them… just like they did in the regular season. And, just like in the regular season, it’s going to have to be the same cast of characters that stepped up and got us to the dance. That means guys like Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar, Riley Sheahan and — love them or hate them — Johan Franzen, Luke Glendening and David Legwand are going to have to find a way to help the Red Wings win.
The Bruins aren’t infalible. Last season they blew a 3-1 series lead and needed a last minute miracle to beat the Maple Leafs in Game 7. Years ago they blew a 3-0 series lead and lost to the Flyers. Have they learned from those mistakes? Absolutely. Are they a much better team this season than in the past? Absolutely. But does that mean this game and series is over? Absolutely not.
The Red Wings need to show up, play their game, and live to see another day.
Survive.
The Expected Lineup
Forwards
| Henrik Zetterberg | Pavel Datsyuk | Justin Abdelkader |
| Tomas Tatar | Riley Sheahan | Gustav Nyquist |
| Johan Franzen | Darren Helm | Daniel Alfredsson |
| Drew Miller | Luke Glendening | David Legwand |
Defensemen
| Niklas Kronwall | Brendan Smith |
| Kyle Quincey | Danny DeKeyser |
| Xavier Ouellet | Jakub Kindl |
Goaltenders
| Jonas Gustavsson (starting) |
| Jake Patterson |
Scratches: Jimmy Howard, Tomas Jurco, Todd Bertuzzi, Joakim Andersson & Brian Lashoff
Injuries: Jonathan Ericsson (finger), Daniel Cleary (knee), Stephen Weiss (groin) & Mikael Samuelsson (upper body)
Opponent Outlook
Forwards
| Milan Lucic | David Krejci | Jarome Iginla |
| Brad Marchand | Patrice Bergeron | Reilly Smith |
| Justin Florek | Carl Soderberg | Loui Eriksson |
| Jordan Caron | Gregory Campbell | Shawn Thornton |
Defensemen
| Zdeno Chara | Dougie Hamilton |
| Johnny Boychuk | Matt Bartkowski |
| Kevan Miller | Torey Krug |
Goaltenders
| Tuukka Rask (starting) |
| Chad Johnson |
Scratches: Andrej Meszaros & Corey Potter
Injuries: Chris Kelly (upper body), Daniel Paille (concussion)
Bullets of Knowledge
- The Red Wings are 7-8 all-time in Game 5’s under Mike Babcock. They’re 1-2 when trailing 3-1 in a series./
- Boston is 5-6 all-time in Game 5’s under Claude Julien. They’re 1-3 when leading 3-1 in a series./
Prediction: Survival.
