3 takeaway after the Bruins' exciting win in Game 5 against the Blue Jackets



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If you turned off your television after Brad Marchand strengthened his lead over a comfortable 2-0 lead in the third period, you might have thought the match was over.

It was far from that.

The Bruins and Blue Jackets combined their goals to score five goals in 9:27 of the last period and collectively increased the heart rate of everyone in TD Garden on unhealthy territory.

The Bruins, though resilient – having conceded two goals 1:57 apart – lost a 3-1 lead – relied on their best players to do the job in the fifth game.

David Pastrnak abandoned his mysterious funk in the playoffs with a remarkable performance. The 22-year-old scored the last two goals of the night for Boston, including the winner of the match with 1:28 remaining to settle.

"I mean, we need everyone to contribute. These guys play a lot of minutes. Pastrnak is a young man. We talked about it the other day, we did it, "said head coach Bruce Cassidy following the 4-3 win.

"Connor Clifton – a young man – makes a hell game in Marchy [Brad Marchand]So, these young guys have been able to rise to the occasion, big contributors to victory, and you have to do it if you want to win at this time of the year because they are young guys playing in our alignment, "he said.

That's what we learned in the Bruins 3-2 series at Columbus for the sixth game on Monday night.

Pastrnak finally breaks through

The honors he received Saturday night have been long in coming.

Pastrnak resisted the impulse given by the Blue Jackets with two decisive goals on the scoreboard. More importantly, he seemed to be doing it and it showed up on his first count of the night.

The Czech playmaker had the wind in the sails for a 2-on-1 attempt with Patrice Bergeron. Pastrnak watched Bergeron's direction with Sergei Bobrovsky deceiving Selke's four-time winner. With time and space, Pastrnak quickly fired on Bobrovsky to give the Bruins a 3-1 lead.

"It's good to score goals, but at the same time, I always try to succeed, I had a good match online, I pulled myself together when it was the most necessary," said Pastrnak. "We have been through a lot of things this season: several injuries and just mutual trust. Whenever someone came out, another guy would show up and I would say that it counts for belief. We have not finished, but we have to enjoy tonight, but we regroup and watch match 6 tomorrow. "

The 22-year-old did not look like the first star in the series. But he had all the assets for a breakthrough. His supreme talent, contagious charisma and positive attitude to help the team win every single victory were all in the fifth game.

A fatality for sure, especially if you ask his teammate winger.

"It's inevitable. You get these opportunities every game, they will go there. He's been successful all year, "said Marchand at the end of his three-point night (one goal, two assists). "It was huge for our group. He continues to be. That's what we expect from him. Introduce yourself in the great moments and continue what he does. "

He has received a lot of criticism throughout the series, but Pastrnak is quietly second in the playoff team scoring list with 12 points.

Pastrnak did not need to publicly address his critics. Instead, he let his game make the whole conversation.

The resilience of the Bruins prevailed in times of crisis

The Bruins' puck movement and their ruthless defeat put them in the driver's seat.

Boston held two goals separated by two goals while Tuukka Rask remained helpless. Columbus has never threatened to breach for the first half of the third period.

But everything has collapsed.

Ryan Dzingel hit first and fired over Rask's shoulder to reduce the deficit to one with 7:53 left in the third period. Dean Kukan scored the equalizer barely 1:57 later.

Suddenly, the Bruins found themselves at square one. But they never panicked. They respected the game plan that allowed them to dominate the Blue Jackets for much of the fifth game. They relied on their big guns to do the work.

The Bruins finally had their well-deserved reward at the end. And they do not even need overtime.

"They did some high-end games, but it's our group. We are resilient, "said Cassidy about her team. "We have struggled a lot this year. We came back from a playoff game on the road against a good team. We have battled injuries all year to maintain our position in the standings, so our guys are very good at it. We thank the veterans in the room and even the youngest we talked about, their contributions. They learn to play through this too so that young guys keep calm. "

A character victory and statement in one.

The Bruins showed that they were the best team. But they also showed the courage and the means to fight back against adversity. This is what sets equal teams in May and June.

Cassidy's team has persevered and now has a chance to close the series on Monday night. But they know very well that the fourth win in a series is always the hardest to get.

John Tortorella guarantees a game 7

He is no stranger to the highlights of the press conference. But his words after the fifth match were even a bold statement by John Tortorella's standards.

The fourth-year Columbus coach answered a question on Saturday regarding key contributions from Dzingel and Kukan. Yet, instead of focusing on their third-period goals, Tortorella offered a guarantee after their tough defeat.

"We have a few lines to get an offense, yes. We found lines that would offend us and we will prepare for the seventh game, "Tortorella said.

Another question from a Columbus reporter came to Tortorella. Why did he feel so confident to return to Causeway Street Wednesday night for the seventh game?

"We are going because we will do it," added Tortorella.

A subtle yet bold statement that surely provides display board material in the Boston locker room.

The Bruins' main goal on Monday is to finish the series and secure their date with the Carolina Hurricanes at the Eastern Conference finals. Their secondary goal: to make Torts eat his own words.

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