Game 2 Preview: Looking for more of the same

Just the facts

When: Tonight, 7 PM

Where: Amalie Arena - Tampa, FL

How to follow: NBCSN, 98.5 The Sports Hub

State of the series: Bruins up 1-0

Rival SBN site: Raw Charge

Know your enemy

• Nikita Kucherov: 5G-5A-10PTS; Steven Stamkos: 1G-5A-6PTS; Alex Killorn: 4G-1A-5PTS
• Andrei Vasilevskiy: 4-2-0, 2.51 GAA, .922 save percentage

Game notes

• The Bruins will be looking to keep up where they left off. While many fans had high hopes for this series, I don’t know that many thought the Bruins would put up a six pack in Game 1. The team played the majority of Game 1 like they played the third period of Game 7 again the Leafs. More of that, yes.
• The key to Game 1? The Bruins took advantage of their chances. It seemed like whenever the B’s had an open look, they cashed in. It started off with Rick Nash on the power play, and continued with pretty much every time the top line was on the ice. Sure, the Bruins were the beneficiaries of a couple bounces here and there, but they also (to use a terrible phrase) CREATED THEIR OWN LUCK.
• Tampa could be a bit banged up in Game 2, as both Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point missed practice on Sunday. It appears that they’ll play tonight, but probably won’t be 100%.
• One can’t help but hope that a game like Saturday’s really gets Rick Nash humming. The PPG was a great tip, but the second goal was the one that pure goal scorers live for: clean wrister, off the post and in. BEAUTIFUL.
• Tuukka Rask was great in Game 1. Let’s just hope he gets his skates squared away before Game 2.
• One concerning thing about Game 1: The Bruins turned the puck over with reckless abandon. It seemed like they were having trouble adjusting to Tampa’s forecheck, though they figured it out as the game got more out of hand. Tampa had a couple posts and near misses from those turnovers; if the B’s keep it up, they’re going to start converting.
• While they technically allowed a goal (on the dumb skate play), the Bruins’ PK looked pretty good in Game 1. If the Bruins are going to try to play physical and get under the skin of Tampa’s big guns, they’re going to have to be prepared to pay the price and kill off the penalties. They did that in Game 1.
• It’s unrealistic to think that the top line can continue to produce all series like they did in Game 1, but at times, Tampa had no answer for that trio. Shutdown line, shutdown pairing...Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak didn’t care. Tampa needs that line to go cold or to figure out a way to stop them, or else it could be a quick series.

See ya at 7!