The message for a Game 7 with historic implications is simple: Win or go home. For the Bruins, a win matches them up with their long time rivals the Canadiens. A loss, however, puts them in infamous company. Head coach Claude Julien’s words for his team are simple.
“You go out there and you play to win,” Julien said of his team’s approach. “Sometimes they say the term, ‘Safe is death.’ If you play safe, it’s not going to help your chances to win.”
“It really is our fifth time facing elimination,” Laviolette said. “I feel like we’re ready for this. The message hasn’t changed from Day 1 since I’ve been here until where we are right now. Everything has stayed the same. The meetings are the same. The message is the same. What’s expected is the same.
“When we start mention a Game 7, there’s this buildup because somebody’s going home, but like I said, we’ve been faced with that for a while.”
“Not only has he proven it in the past, he’s proven it already here. Our team has been in survival mode; we’ve been fighting. And you don’t win those fights unless there’s great type of people in the locker room. Mike Richards. Danny Briere steps up. Chris Pronger plays his minutes. Guys who have proven they can get there and handle the pressure of an elimination game, and that’s where we are tonight.”
“There’s no question that Chris Pronger can be a difference tonight.”
“It’s pretty simple, especially when you’re the home team. You want to get your crowd into it, so there’s no doubt you’d like to come out strong in the first 10 minutes. When you’re on the road, you want to make sure you quiet down the other team for the first 10 minutes,”