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Fans Send Bruins Off To Game 5 In Chicago

BOSTON (CBS) -  The Boston Bruins are heading back to Chicago, and once again received a rousing sendoff from their fans.

After the Bruins hit the ice for practice at the TD Garden on Friday morning, nearly 1,500 fans sent them off to Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final in style.

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"We have great fans here in Boston," said goalie Tuukka Rask. "They've done this many times, and a lot of people always show up. It's nice to see."

"It's special here," said Jaromir Jagr, who has seen just about everything in his 18-year NHL career. "That's what is driving us a little more, to win for these fans."

The Bruins signed autographs and mingled with fans before boarding buses and heading to the airport. They head to Chicago with the series tied 2-2 after Wednesday night's 6-5 loss in overtime, ready to bounce back. They know they'll be back in Boston for Game 6, and a win on Saturday would give them a chance to clinch the Cup at home.

But they aren't thinking that far down the road.

"We can't look ahead; we have to make sure we're completely prepared for Game 5," said forward Brad Marchand. "It's going to be a battle; they're going to come out extremely hard and excited to be home. We have to throw everything at them."

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"We're very close, but very far away still," he added. "We have to make sure we don't get ahead of ourselves."

"We know that [we're only two wins away], but it's not easy," said Jagr, who is still looking for his first goal of the playoffs. "They're fighting for the same thing we are. We are going to do our best, that's what I can promise you."

Boston didn't look their best at times on Wednesday, and were forced to fight back from two separate two-goal deficits. But they used their extra day off on Thursday to rest up from all the extra hockey they've been playing, and re-watch the errors they made in Game 4.

"They were just mental mistakes," said Rask. "Nothing crazy we have to fix, just be mentally sharper and more alert."

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"You just move on. Take the good things, take the negative things and see what you can improve," he added. "We're really confident; that's one of our good qualities as a team."

Tune in to every game of the Bruins-Blackhawks Stanley Cup Final on 98.5 The Sports Hub -- the flagship station of the Boston Bruins. Pregame coverage begins at 7 p.m. with full postgame reaction and analysis after every game!

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