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The Wraparound: Bruins top players ‘feeling good about themselves’

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Despite a wild third period, Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask makes 33 saves and has been outstanding against the Blue Jackets, says Anson Carter.

The Wraparound is your daily look at the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. We’ll break down each day’s matchups with the all-important television and live streaming information included.

It’s taken them a while, but the Boston Bruins’ best forwards have finally starting producing in this second-round series against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Heading into Game 6 (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN; live stream) their confidence is sky-high.

In the first three games of the series, Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron combined to score just one goal (Pastrnak in Game 2). But in Games 4 and 5, they’ve amassed 11 points. It’s no coincidence that the Bruins found a way to win both those games.

“When you’re offensive guys and you’re players like those guys that put a lot of pressure on themselves to lead, both production-wise, effort-wise, details, if it doesn’t go your way, there’s a level of frustration,” head coach Bruce Cassidy said after Game 5. “They’re human. Now they break through the other night, (on Saturday night) now they’re back to feeling good about themselves. They’re dominant when they’re on and they’re very good even when they’re not on. If they start feeling it, it’s a tall task for the other team.”

The Bruins will head into tonight’s game with an opportunity to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes. As Boston figured out in Game 5 though, they can’t take their foot on the pedal because the Blue Jackets simply never quit. Columbus was down 2-0 and 3-1 in this one, but they managed to tie the game in the third period. Thankfully for the Bruins, they found a way to get the job done, as Pastrnak added the game-winner less than 1:30 left in regulation.

“It was awesome. He was buzzing,” Tuukka Rask said of Pastrnak. “They’ve been playing him hard and not giving him any time and space, and it’s tough. When you’re a player who wants the puck and wants those chances, it’s not easy when everybody is on you all the time on the ice, not giving you any room. But he’s the kind of player when he gets that room he’s going to make them pay, and (in Game 5) he did.”

Now, the Bruins have to find a way to take one more game away from the Jackets.
[NBC 2019 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]

TODAY’S SCHEDULE
Game 6: San Jose Sharks at Colorado Avalanche (Sharks lead 3-2): These two teams have alternated wins and losses throughout this series, which means it should be Colorado’s turn to win on Monday. Of course, that’s not always the way it works, but this Avs team will have to come out with their best effort because their season is on the line. Game 5 was also the first time in this series that Nathan MacKinnon failed to pick up a point. Will that happen again? (10 p.m. ET; NBCSN; live stream)

SUNDAY’S SCORES
Blues 4, Stars 1 (series tied 3-3)
The Buzzer has more on Sunday’s action

PHT’s Round 2 previews
Round 2 schedule, TV info
Questions for the final eight teams
PHT Roundtable
Blue Jackets vs. Bruins
Blues vs. Stars
Avalanche vs. Sharks

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Joey Alfieri is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @joeyalfieri.