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Boston Bruins: 3 keys to drowning Islanders in Game 5

By Connor Floyd

NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 18: Matt Grzelcyk #48 of the Boston Bruins checks Mathew Barzal #13 of the New York Islanders at the Barclays Center on January 18, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Bruins defeated the Islanders 5-2. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 18: Matt Grzelcyk #48 of the Boston Bruins checks Mathew Barzal #13 of the New York Islanders at the Barclays Center on January 18, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Bruins defeated the Islanders 5-2. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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The Boston Bruins dropped a golden opportunity to all but wrap the series up in Game 4 on Saturday night against the New York Islanders.

Even though the B’s scored first, the Islanders were dominating the flow of the game from puck drop, and it was all Boston could do to keep it a close game into the third period.

The Bruins were on their heels for the majority of the 60 minutes, and as a result, the series comes back to Boston tied at two games apiece.

Here’s what the Boston Bruins need to do to make sure they walk back into Nassau Coliseum with a chance to send the Islanders packing.

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No. 1: Boston Bruins can’t allow the Islanders to play their game

The Islanders are a team that prides itself on physicality and strong defense.

In Game 4, the Islanders forecheck made life miserable for the B’s, making it virtually impossible to set up that dominating, unrelenting offense that we know Bruce Cassidy and the players love to run. When the Islanders didn’t do a good job of shutting down the Bruins chances, goalie Semyon Varlamov was there to slam the door.

The most important key to Game 5 will be if the Bruins allow the Islanders to push them around and stop them from setting their offense up. Zone entry and puck possession were extremely difficult for the Bruins in Game 4.

In order to win Game 5, the Boston Bruins have to dictate the flow of the game, find a way to get cleaner entries into the offensive zone, and put real pressure on Varlamov. The only other option is to beat the Islanders at their own game, but a low scoring affair isn’t something you want to dangle in front of them.

No. 2: Boston Bruins must limit traffic around Tuukka Rask

It certainly felt like the Islanders had the puck for all 60 minutes on Saturday night. The Islanders were peppering Tuukka Rask from all angles, and often with the chance for a deflection or a rebound.

Rask stood on his head and did everything he could to keep the Bruins in the game, but ultimately, it’s up to the Bruins skaters to make life hard on the Islanders offense and limit high danger chances.

In the two games the Islanders won this series, they have scored eight goals combined. Other than the two empty net tallies on Saturday night, four out of six goals scored have come right in front of Rask, the other two being Barzal’s midair goal and Zajac’s overtime breakaway goal to end Game 2. The Bruins have to do a better job of clearing the crease and not allowing the Islanders – Kyle Palmieri in particular – to crowd the net. Bad things happen when the Bruins just watch a guy waltz into the crease.

No. 3: Boston Bruins need better decision making from Bruce Cassidy

This has been discussed a bit on Boston Bruins Twitter, but it merits mentioning here. There is no excuse for the Lazar-Kuraly-Wagner line to be on the ice with two minutes left in a one-goal game in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

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It’s also not ideal that Kuraly has had 72 defensive faceoffs and only six offensive zone faceoffs in the playoffs. Fourth line usage has clearly been an issue and Cassidy isn’t putting them in position to succeed.

Obviously, the first and second lines can’t play for the entire game – if only – but it’s on Cassidy to give each line the best chance to make smart plays.

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