Down 0-2, Bruins In 'Do Or Die' Game 3
BOSTON (CBS) – The Boston Bruins find themselves in a 0-2 hole in the Stanley Cup finals, but know a Game 3 win could turn everything around.
"If we win tonight, it's a whole different series," said forward Michael Ryder. "We're right back in it and after that, well right now we've just got to take it one game at a time. We can't look too far ahead; we've just got to look at tonight. If we win it's only 2-1 now."
After dropping the first two games in Vancouver, the Bruins are facing a "must-win" Game 3. The good news: Boston is 3-0 in Game 3's this postseason.
"Yeah we've done well in Game 3's but this is a new challenge, a new task," said center Chris Kelly. "And we have to come out and play our best game in order to win tonight."
"Game 3 is such a big game," said rookie Brad Marchand. "Especially today, going up 3-0 or being down 2-1, it's such a big difference. So obviously it's the do or die factor for us tonight and we just have to make sure we're prepared for it."
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"Maybe the past, we can look at that and build off it," he said. "But for the most part we just have to make sure we're focused."
Brad Marchand Talks Game 3
The Bruins have had a tough time staying focused the first two games of the series, with costly turnovers leading to Cancucks' goals. When you've lost by just one goal each game, every play matters.
"I think the biggest thing with that is it's mostly mental," Marchand said of the turnovers. "We are making little mental errors and that's causing our turnovers. So if we just focus a little bit more and make sure we're always making strong plays then hopefully it will eliminate those turnovers."
"Score more and allow less," defenseman Andrew Ference said. "These are close games. There's not, there's no critical overhauls needed or big, change your strategies, flip flop them or anything like that. You just got to do what you do well and do what got you here and get that big goal when you need it. That's been the difference."
"Better puck management, as you've heard me say now for three days in a row, is about putting pucks in the right place and creating that forecheck that we want to get," said coach Claude Julien. "It's also staying away from those turnovers. That's a big part of the game."
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As for any chance of a lineup change, say forward Shawn Thornton finding his way back in the lineup, Julien would not give out any hints.
"You're going to see 23 guys out there on the ice today and we'll make some decisions after warmup ," he said.
98.5 The Sports Hub is the only local station to listen to every game of the Stanley Cup Finals. Coverage begins an hour before each game with the Bruins Pregame show hosted by Dave Goucher & Bob Beers.
