With Game 4 between Boston and Tampa Bay going down this afternoon from Florida (1:30 p.m. ET on NBC) it’s a make or break game for the series as far as Tampa Bay is concerned. With the Bruins holding a 2-1 series lead, going down 3-1 and heading back to Boston for Game 5 does not make for an ideal situation for the Lightning.
After coming out so flat in Game 3, Tampa Bay will need to find that jump in their game that they showed in Game 1 of this series. Taking advantage of the Bruins when they’re shorthanded and pressuring Boston into making mistakes will be high on their list of priorities. For Boston, a lot of what they’ve done the last two games has been near flawless. In particular, Tim Thomas has been outstanding and him earning a 31-save shutout in Game 3 is emblematic of that.
Hockey Central’s Bill Patrick asks Keith Jones and Mike Keenan to take a look at both teams and what they need to do to force the issue in Game 4.