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Game 6 preview: It’s do or die for the Bruins in Toronto

Their backs are against the wall. How will the B’s respond?

By Dan.Ryan
Toronto Maple Leafs v Boston Bruins - Game Five Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Just the facts

When: 3 PM

Where: Scotiabank Arena - Toronto, ON

How to follow: NBC, CBC, 98.5 The Sports Hub

Rival SBN site: Pension Plan Puppets

Game notes

  • Here we go! Either way, the Bruins are heading home after today’s game. The only question is whether or not Toronto is coming with them. DO OR DIE TIME, FOLKS.
  • One of the more frustrating things about this series is how often the Bruins seem to be passing up shots. In fact, Bruce Cassidy commented on it after Game 5. Ideally, the desperation caused by an elimination game helps the Bruins simplify their game and get pucks on net. Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak are two guys who could benefit from passing up the extra deke and just getting the puck toward Frederik Andersen.
  • The Leafs are in an interesting spot. In theory, all of the pressure should be on the Bruins. But if this Leafs team lets today’s game get away, all of a sudden they’re faced with another Game 7 in their house of horrors. EVERYONE IS UNDER PRESSURE.
  • To this point, the Bruins’ best players simply haven’t been good enough. The Bruins have managed to keep John Tavares relatively quiet, but he’s been able to keep the Patrice Bergeron line quiet as well. My guess is that the first line sees their most ice time of the series today, unless it gets out of hand early.
  • My brother asked me this yesterday, and I didn’t think to look it up, but I’m pretty sure the last time the Bruins won Games 6 and 7 of a series was against Vancouver in 2011. That ended fairly well.
  • I don’t know if I’ll get to a full lines post today due to Easter happenings, but it looks like the Bruins may end up scratching David Backes today. Backes skated a team low in Game 5, and it appears Cassidy isn’t putting much stock in the “veteran leadership” intangible heading into today’s game.
  • If the Bruins are going to come back and win this series, their special teams game is going to have to hit its stride. A terrible power play killed them in Game 5; if they get those chances today, they need to be buried.
  • Jake DeBrusk has had a disappointingly quiet series since Game 2. Most of us had hoped the fiery DeBrusk would come out guns blazing after the crosscheck by Nazem Kadri, but he hasn’t been terribly noticeable. There’s a decent chance that he’s injured, of course, but he showed big-game flashes last year. Let’s hope he has a few more in him.

Get out there and enjoy the early part of your Sunday! See you at 3!