One aspect that makes the NHL playoffs so uniquely excellent is that random guys step up in nearly every game. Take for instance Game 2 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals at the United Center. Boston rallied for a 2-1 overtime victory over Chicago thanks to Daniel Paille's first career OT winner (in regular season or playoffs). The Bruins evened the series at one and head back to Boston for Game 3 on Monday (8 p.m., NBCSN).
For many reasons, the B's definitely gained confidence since they were able to withstand an incredible amount of pressure by the Blackhawks in the first period (outshooting Boston 19-4) and only trailed 1-0. From that point on, Boston started to play their game and their constant hits on Chicago (50-34) started to take their toll.
They are still miles away (3 wins) from another Stanley Cup but if the Bruins do beat the Blackhawks four times, I can basically guarantee that Tuukka Rask (33 saves) will earn the Conn Smythe trophy (playoff MVP). He has been brilliant all postseason and he improved to 4-0 in starts after he allowed four plus goals in the previous game.
Boston has the only winning record on the road in the playoffs (6-3) and this one snapped Chicago's six-game win streak at home. Patrick Sharp gave the Blackhawks a well-deserved 1-0 lead at 11:22 of the first period after a crazy sequence of saves by Rask. His ninth goal of the playoffs (tied for NHL lead with David Krejci) was the only time in the first two games that Chicago has led Boston. Technically, the Bruins never led in Game 2, the same way the Blackhawks were never ahead in Game 1. Bizarre.
Nobody has been a bigger dog this postseason for the B's than Chris Kelly but tonight he took a time machine back to 2011 when he had five goals and eight assists in Boston's Cup run. He was paired with Daniel Paille and Tyler Seguin during this game and would you believe me if I told you that they were the best line on either team? Seriously. After Paille's steal and wraparound attempt, Kelly followed up for the rebound which turned into his first goal of the postseason at 14:58.
After Wednesday's soul-crushing 4-3 loss in triple overtime, I can't imagine many Bruins fans were thinking positive thoughts when Game 2 went to overtime but they calmed our nerves by winning a franchise-best fifth overtime game of the 2013 playoffs.
Poor Jaromir Jagr can't buy a goal no matter what he does, he rang the post early in overtime with a laser of a wrist shot. Paille's goal, his third of the playoffs, was a beauty at 13:48. Adam McQuaid kept the puck in Chicago's zone, Tyler Seguin found Paille and the underrated left wing sniped it off the post but past Corey Crawford (26 saves) and in the net.
For a while it wasn't pretty as it looked like Chicago was going to run Boston out of the United Center but when it came time to wake up, the Bruins showed they are right in this series.
I wish it was Monday night already, the atmosphere at the Garden should be nothing short of incredible. These are two great teams and I expect the rest of the series to be this competitive (albeit not all ending in OT). The B's have a chance to really take control with the next two games at home but it would be silly to underestimate the Blackhawks.
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