2011 NHL Playoffs: 5 Keys for the Boston Bruins the Rest of the Series

The Boston Bruins went into Montreal after losing the first two games at home. If the big polling companies had surveyed Boston's hockey fans, they may have reported that eight out of every 10 had written the Bruins off. The overwhelming feeling in Beantown was that there was no way the Bruins could win one game in the Bell Center, let alone both.

Oh, ye of little faith.

Boston had a better record on the road than at home this season and used that as motivation.

The coaching and management staffs had received a skewering from fans, so when the series shifted north of the border, they collectively made a very good, if not great, decision to keep the club away from Montreal. Instead staying in Lake Placid, NY, the Bruins were isolated from the media frenzy that accompanies playoff hockey in La Belle Province.

After winning games No. 3 and 4, all is right with the world. Of course, the Bruins have not won anything yet, but they are in a much better position today to win the series than they were before Game 3.

Here are five things the club must do to win two out of the remaining three games in the series.  

Don't Let Your Fans Sit on Their Hands

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BOSTON, MA - APRIL 14: Boston Bruins fans cheer on their team in the third quarter against the Montreal Canadiens in Game One of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on April 14, 2011 in Boston, Massa

There is an old hockey expression and I use it before every game I coach: "Be first on the board and last in the box." Simply put, score the first goal of the game and never take the first penalty of the game.

It is imperative that the Bruins score first in the remaining games against Montreal. Scoring first in TD Garden will keep their crowd engaged and literally screaming for more. The fans are emotionally involved with this club. They not only want a win but are now expecting the black and gold to win this series. They want to be a part of it and will do so by being as loud as they can be. 

Being last in the penalty box will give the fans another reason to be louder than their counterparts in the Bell Centre. A power play goal by Boston giving them the lead would be a much welcomed sight for the Bruins faithful. It would be the first power play goal of the series for Boston and the emotional release would have the TD Garden shaking on its foundation. 

Boston's Special Teams Must Be Special

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CALGARY,CANADA - FEBRUARY 22: Tomas Kaberle #12 of the Boston Bruins skates against the Calgary Flames during their NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome, February 22,2011 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.(Photo By Dave Sandford/Getty Images)

It is no secret that Boston's power play has been powerless throughout the series, an anemic 0 for 12 after four games. 

It was widely publicized when defenseman Tomas Kaberle was acquired from Toronto that the power play was going to rest on the shoulders of Zdeno Chara. The world quickly figured out that Kaberle would feed the puck to Chara who would then blast his big slap shot into opposing nets. Good plan but the rest of the NHL had other ideas. Montreal's penalty killing forwards are quick to close Chara's shooting lanes.

When he does unleash his blast, it has been easily blocked. When it does get through to the net, the Montreal defensemen have been very good at keeping the area in front of goaltender Carey Price clear of screens and he has been able to make the saves. Price himself has become very adept at controlling rebounds and does not give up many.

The Bruins have the personnel to have a successful power play. Milan Lucic, David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, Mark Recchi, Kaberle, and Chara can all put the puck in the net but it is up to the coaching staff, and assistant coach Geoff Ward in particular, to come up with new ways to get it done.

Conversely, the penalty killing units have been very good during the series. Montreal has gone on the power play 14 times and has scored twice.

The Bruins have kept the puck out on the perimeter of their defensive zone, giving the Canadiens bad shooting angles.

Goaltender Tim Thomas has been able to see the shots and has stopped the easy ones while making the big save when needed.

In order to win this series, Boston's special teams must continue to improve. 

Establish a Physical Presence from the Opening Face off

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MONTREAL, CANADA - JANUARY 8: Adam McQuaid #54 of the Boston Bruins body checks David Desharnais #58 of the Montreal Canadiens during the NHL game at the Bell Centre on January 8, 2011 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Canadiens defeated the Bruins 3-2 i

At this point in the series there are no secrets. The players know what to expect from their opponents. This is the classic bigger, slower, Bruins playing against the smaller, faster, Canadiens. It is how these two teams have been built almost since day one of the National Hockey League's existence. 

Montreal is expecting Boston to play a tough, hard-nosed brand of hockey, which the Bruins have done to a certain degree. However, Boston needs to do this on a more consistent level. Game 5 will be a home game for the Bruins, so they need to give their fans something to cheer about as soon as the puck is dropped and, barring a quick strike goal, the best way to do that is with a big open ice body check. The crowd will love it and the Canadiens will think twice about opening themselves up to such hits.

The Bruins need to win battles for loose pucks along the boards in all three zones, as well. In Game 4, the biggest man in the NHL, 6' 9" 255 lbs., Zdeno Chara was out-muscled along the wall by Canadien forward David Desharnais who is listed at 5' 7" 177 lbs. It is not the first time Chara has lost a battle for a puck to a smaller player. It is unacceptable that should ever happen and if it continues, the Bruins will be putting themselves in position to lose games. 

Boston's Number 1 Line Needs to Play Like a Number 1 Line

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UNIONDALE, NY - MARCH 11: Milan Lucic #17 of the Boston Bruins skates against the New York Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum on March 11, 2011 in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

It is widely known that the Stanley Cup Playoffs are a tighter checking brand of hockey than the regular season, making scoring chances more difficult to come by. This has certainly been the case for Boston's top line of Milan Lucic, David Krejci, and Nathan Horton. 

The trio earned the right to be the top unit as Lucic scored 30 goals and 62 points during the regular season. He was the club's leading goal scorer and tied in points with Krejci, who had 49 assists to go along with 13 goals, while Horton contributed with 26 goals and 53 points.

Granted, they are facing Montreal's top defensive pairing of former Bruin Hal Gill and super rookie P.K. Subban but, at times, Boston's top three forwards look confused and hesitant. They have not been able to solve Carey Price and are resorting to low percentage shots. This appears to have effected their confidence levels and it shows in their statistics. In four games, Lucic has 0 points and is a minus-2, Krejci has 1 goal and is also a minus-2 while Horton, like his center, is showing 1 goal and a minus-2 rating.

In order for Boston to get past Montreal and any other foe they may face, the Lucic-Krejci-Horton line needs to play with the swagger they had throughout the season. 

Now Hiring: An on Ice Leader

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UNIONDALE, NY - FEBRUARY 17: Zdeno Chara #33 of the Boston Bruins waits for a faceoff during an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum on February 17, 2011 in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)

Zdeno Chara wears the coveted "C" on his sweater. It is worn by the captain of each team, the player who is the leader on and off the ice. 

In Boston, the tradition was to award it to the longest serving Bruins player. The letter has been worn by Hall of Famers such as Johnny Bucyk and Raymond Bourque. Other long time Bruins Wayne Cashman and Terry O'Reilly also wore the "C." Not only were they long time Bruins, they also epitomized what it meant to be a Boston Bruin; they were hard working, take-no-prisoners leaders who were respected and looked up to by their teammates.

Zdeno Chara was awarded the team captaincy upon his signing with the Bruins as a free agent in 2006. Because of that, fans expected him to be the leader who would bring a Stanley Cup to Boston immediately. This has not been the case. Chara has not exhibited the traditional playing style that other Bruins captains played with. He is not a physical player, relying on his reach instead. He is prone to turning the puck over in the defensive and neutral zones and is not among the game's elite defenders in one-on-one situations. He is also a slow, lumbering skater and loses races to loose pucks.

We have seen several players play well in the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs for Boston but no one has played with the intensity that sends the message that says, "Hey guys, jump on my back, I'll carry this team."

Patrice Bergeron has come the closest. He leads the club with five points, sees power-play and penalty-killing duty, and has won 63.1 percent of his face offs. Off the ice, he has been accessible to all media requests. Ironically, he is also the organization's longest serving player. Patrice Bergeron is worthy of wearing the "C" on his sweater and will be for years to come. He may not have a Stanley Cup ring yet but he does have an Olympic gold medal as a member of Team Canada from the 2010 Winter Olympics.

It is time for Patrice Bergeron to tell his teammates to jump on his back. He has shown he has what it takes to be the leader the Bruins are looking for.