This gripping Stanley Cup final has gone five games -- with Game 6 set for Monday night in Boston -- and there remains great uncertainty about what lies ahead.
Saturday's 3-1 Blackhawks win -- essentially a one-goal game with an empty netter -- was like almost all of the other games in this series, with the 'Hawks and Bruins each dominating for long stretches.
A good part of what's not known has to do with each team's top two-way center, Patrice Bergeron of Boston and Jonathan Toews of Chicago. Each is a leader on and off the ice, a major presence in everything his team does, a huge part of his club's identity. To have one of them unable to play would be a big blow to his team; to have both missing might, as Bruins coach Claude Julien suggested after Game 5, cancel out that impact. Or it might not, depending on who fills their respective spots and how well they play.
Indeed, in three of the past four Cup finals where a team failed to clinch in Game 6, they also failed in Game 7. And
the last team to rally from a 3-2 series hole? The Boston Bruins in 2011 against the Canucks.
So on Monday night (8 p.m. ET, NBC) in Boston, the Bruins try to duplicate that 2011 situation -- win at home in Game
6, then win on the road in Game 7 (back at the Madhouse Wednesday).
This Stanley Cup series already made up for the shortened regular season, at least for purists, by matching two of the NHL's Original Six.
The Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins have since taken the excitement to the next level, playing five great games, including Saturday night's 3-1 Chicago victory that gets the 'Hawks to within one more victory of their second Cup championship in the last four seasons.
As of Monday morning, most sportsbooks with Stanley Cup odds had the Bruins as small -125 moneyline favorites. And the OVER/UNDER sat at 4.5 goals, which might be good value if history repeats itself because the past three Game 6s in the Finals have seen seven goals.
The big questions heading into Game 6 are how each team might cope possibly without one of their main cogs. Boston's Patrice Bergeron, who's scored nine goals in this Spring's playoffs, missed most of the last two periods of Saturday night's game with an undisclosed injury.
And Chicago's Jonathan Toews, who's got two goals and 10 assists this postseason, missed the third period after taking a hard hit to the head.
Both are listed as questionable, although Toews went to Twitter to say that he will play today.
If Boston wins Monday night this Stanley Cup series will go to a Game 7 Wednesday night in Chicago.
Saturday's 3-1 Blackhawks win -- essentially a one-goal game with an empty netter -- was like almost all of the other games in this series, with the 'Hawks and Bruins each dominating for long stretches.
A good part of what's not known has to do with each team's top two-way center, Patrice Bergeron of Boston and Jonathan Toews of Chicago. Each is a leader on and off the ice, a major presence in everything his team does, a huge part of his club's identity. To have one of them unable to play would be a big blow to his team; to have both missing might, as Bruins coach Claude Julien suggested after Game 5, cancel out that impact. Or it might not, depending on who fills their respective spots and how well they play.
Indeed, in three of the past four Cup finals where a team failed to clinch in Game 6, they also failed in Game 7. And
the last team to rally from a 3-2 series hole? The Boston Bruins in 2011 against the Canucks.
So on Monday night (8 p.m. ET, NBC) in Boston, the Bruins try to duplicate that 2011 situation -- win at home in Game
6, then win on the road in Game 7 (back at the Madhouse Wednesday).
This Stanley Cup series already made up for the shortened regular season, at least for purists, by matching two of the NHL's Original Six.
The Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins have since taken the excitement to the next level, playing five great games, including Saturday night's 3-1 Chicago victory that gets the 'Hawks to within one more victory of their second Cup championship in the last four seasons.
As of Monday morning, most sportsbooks with Stanley Cup odds had the Bruins as small -125 moneyline favorites. And the OVER/UNDER sat at 4.5 goals, which might be good value if history repeats itself because the past three Game 6s in the Finals have seen seven goals.
The big questions heading into Game 6 are how each team might cope possibly without one of their main cogs. Boston's Patrice Bergeron, who's scored nine goals in this Spring's playoffs, missed most of the last two periods of Saturday night's game with an undisclosed injury.
And Chicago's Jonathan Toews, who's got two goals and 10 assists this postseason, missed the third period after taking a hard hit to the head.
Both are listed as questionable, although Toews went to Twitter to say that he will play today.
If Boston wins Monday night this Stanley Cup series will go to a Game 7 Wednesday night in Chicago.
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