Bruins players celebrate on Garden ice after completing a 4-2 series win against the Buffalo Sabres with a 4-3 victory in Game 6. (photo: Getty)

Final: Boston 4, Buffalo 3

It was a much rockier road getting there, but this year’s Bruins squad has matched last year’s first-place club by reaching the second round of the playoffs. And despite their stumbles earlier in the season, they might be in a better position to advance even further. But before addressing that, it’s time to take a look back at how they’ve come this far, with a dramatic win at home in Game 6 as Boston reversed the script from its previous wins, jumping ahead early, then (barely) hanging on late for the deciding victory.

Series Status: Bruins win, 4-2.

Revisiting the Three Keys for the B’s:

1. Don’t let Buffalo bring this one home – The Bruins avoided the need for another trek to Buffalo by holding serve at home. After struggling so mightily at the Garden in the second half of the season, the Bruins finally seem to be taking advantage of home ice, winning all three games at home in the series and five straight at the Garden overall. How important was closing this one out now rather than risking a game 7 in Buffalo?

Milan Lucic can answer that one: “It’s huge,” said Lucic. “It would have been real tough if we had to go back up to Buffalo. That’s a tough building to play in and the momentum would have been on their side. It was huge that we were able to do it at home in front of our fans.”

2. Reinforcements ready? – Buffalo benefited from the return of Thomas Vanek. Even though he wasn’t at full strength, he provided an offensive presence with four shots and a goal, which came with 1:13 left to pull Buffalo within one and have a chance at the comeback. The Bruins, meanwhile, got the best of both worlds, winning in Game 6 without having to risk rushing Marc Savard back too soon. Savard may still play in Round 2, but at least he’ll have a few more days of practice to get ready and have the doctors evaluate his progress. At the same time, the Bruins benefited from the continuity of using the same exact lineup in all six games.

Claude Julien discussed the importance of that after the game. “I think that the main thing is that we stayed pretty healthy throughout that whole series and that was important,” said Julien. “We’ve been through some playoff series in the past where guys were pretty banged up by the end of it. We were fortunate to remain pretty healthy and we were able to have the same lineup, night in, night out. Just the guys got involved in it and made us a stronger team.”

3. Hit parade – After being battered in Game 5, the Bruins returned to the physical style they played in the first four games. Boston outhit Buffalo 33-28, with nearly everyone contributing. The Bruins are accustomed to seeing Vladimir Sobotka (6 hits) and Steve Begin (6 hits) throw their weight around, but David Krejci also added three hits and even Blake Wheeler chipped in a pair – matching his total output from the previous five games. All that hitting helped set the tone, with the Bruins getting in on the forecheck to force turnovers and also disrupting the Sabres’ attack in the neutral zone.

Dennis Wideman discussed how that helped key the Bruins’ victory: “That’s how we had to play them in order to beat them in a seven-game series,” said Wideman. “We had to try and take their speed away through the neutral zone because they are a great rushing team, highly skilled. Whenever we had neutral zone breakdowns they scored on the rush pretty much every time, so that was something that we needed to do in order to win.”

Key Play of the Game:

There would be six more goals scored on the night – three by each team – but the first goal may have been the most important, as it was the first time Boston struck first all series long. Krejci opened the scoring on the power play at 13:39 of the first period when he redirected a slap pass from Mark Recchi off the inside of the far post from the right slot. The Bruins would never trail again, as they played with the lead for the rest of the night and thwarted all of Buffalo’s efforts to pull even.

Quote of the Night, Part I:

David Krejci on the series victory after a disappointing regular season:

“We knew we always had it in us and some guys had a tough year, but we knew it was in us and I think we showed it in the first round,” said Krejci, “but you know, it starts right now and we got to do the same thing in the second (round).”

Quote of the Night, Part II:

Zdeno Chara on the prospects of advancing even further this year compared to last spring:

“Maybe winning 4-0 in the first round could be not as good for you as having a tougher first round,” said Chara. “Sometimes the easy way is not always the best way.”

Quote of the Night, Part III:

Mark Recchi on the possibility of having to root for Montreal on Wednesday, as a Canadiens win over Washington would give the Bruins home ice in the second round against Philadelphia:

“No, that’s like death right there,” said Recchi of becoming a Habs fan, even for a night.

Fight Card:

For the first time in four games, there were no fights in this one, which is not surprising considering what was at the stake in this game. The six games ended up producing three fights, which is not bad for a playoff series in the “new NHL.” Sobotka took on Andrej Sekera in Game 3, Lucic fought Craig Rivet in Game 4 and Zdeno Chara picked up the lone fighting major in a late scrum in Buffalo in Game 5.

Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron (37) shakes hands with former teammate Steve Montador. (photo: Getty)

Flynn’s Finest:

Where to start? There’s plenty of praise to go around after this one, as the Bruins pulled off the upset by dispatching the Northeast Division champion Sabres in six games. Of course, it looked less and less like an upset as the series went on, as the Bruins quickly proved the match for the Sabres in nearly every area despite their infuriatingly inconsistent regular season. The biggest element of that – and the one thing that was consistently solid all season – was Tuukka Rask, and any team with a goalie playing as well as Rask has played this year can hardly be considered too much of an underdog. Rask was stellar again tonight, making 27 saves to once again outduel Olympic hero Ryan Miller. The three goals were actually well above his season and playoff average, but he made some big saves when things got hairy and Buffalo threatened to pull even. … David Krejci came up huge when it mattered most. He had one goal and two points in the first five games, but scored a pair of goals and added an assist in this one. He opened the scoring with a huge goal late in the first on the power play, then set up Mark Recchi for the second goal. After Buffalo scored in the second, Krejci extended the lead to two goals again in the third. For good measure, he added four shots, three hits and won 9 of 15 draws (60 percent) in 20:57. … Milan Lucic was also struggling much of the series, and much of the season for that matter as he battled injuries all year. He delivered tonight though, setting up a pair of goals, including Krejci’s second with a beautiful feed out from behind the net, he added three shots and three hits in 16:35, and even shed some blood as he drew a double minor for high-sticking on Adam Mair in the third. … Miroslav Satan has come up big for a guy who wasn’t even playing this year until signed by the B’s in January. He ended up with five points in the series after notching a goal and an assist tonight, and had the two biggest goals of the series with the double-OT winner in Game 4 and what proved the game-winner tonight. The Satan Shuffle he did after that goal has to become the newest dance craze in the Hub. … Mark Recchi also had a goal and an assist, leading by example as usual as he factored in the first two goals to get the Bruins going. … Patrice Bergeron chipped in an assist, four shots and three hits, and was his usual dominant self in the face-off circle (18 of 29, 62 percent). … Vladimir Sobotka led the way physically again with six hits and also won 7 of 11 draws (64 percent), while Steve Begin also had six hits. … Even Shawn Thornton managed a pair of takeaways in just 4:24. … Johnny Boychuk saw a lot more ice-time – a game-high 27:49 – and wrapped up a solid first career playoff series with four shots, two hits and a blocked shot. … Special teams were a decisive factor in this game and the entire series. Boston was 2 for 5 on the power play with 11 shots. They finished the series 6 for 22 (27.3 percent). Meanwhile, Buffalo was 0 for 3 with just one shot. The Sabres were 0 for 19 in the series on the man-advantage.

Flynn’s Sin Bin:

The Bruins led by two goals on three different occasions but struggled handling that prosperity as each time the Sabres came back with the next goal. That included an almost disastrous sequence in the third period when Buffalo scored just 22 seconds after Krejci made it a 3-1 game. … That goal came off the stick of Nathan Gerbe, converting a brutal giveaway by Michael Ryder, who coughed up the puck in the left corner, sending it out front to Gerbe for a one-timer and an unassisted tally. … Dennis Wideman also had a costly giveaway, as his ill-advised pass out from the left corner went straight to Adam Mair, starting a quick passing play that led to Buffalo’s first goal by Patrick Kaleta. … Matt Hunwick and Zdeno Chara also had bad giveaways in the third that nearly led directly to goals, but Rask came up with saves to bail both defensemen out, stoning Tyler Ennis at the right post after Hunwick handed him the puck alone in front, then stopping Jason Pominville in close after Chara’s clear was intercepted. … The Bruins also showed some lapses in discipline with both Chara and Milan Lucic picking up the only penalties in scrums. There was some dubious officiating in not evening up the calls, but both players have to know their size and style make them targets for the zebras and have to be careful not to get too aggressive in key situations. Chara’s roughing minor for a face-wash on Paul Gaustad at the end of the first was especially costly, as it negated a Bruins power play that would have given them the man-advantage to start the second. … The Bruins also were called for too many men late in the second, a penalty that they’ve committed way too many times this year. … Blake Wheeler was more involved physically in this one and even threw a couple of early hits. But his offense is still largely absent. He had just one shot and was a minus-1 in 13:41, missing on three other shot attempts. That included an opportunity at an open net with Miller caught out of his crease after a collision with one of his defensemen, but Wheeler sent it wide of the open cage right into Miller. Wheeler also had a shot at the open net when Miller was pulled for the extra attacker, but his bid was blocked by Andrej Sekera with just over two minutes to go. Buffalo then scored a minute later to make it a one-goal game again. … Marco Sturm likewise remains snakebit. He finished the series without a point and didn’t even get a shot on goal in this game. He had a short-handed bid in the opening minutes, but clanged his shot off the crossbar. He later muffed a pass on a 2-on-1 chance and fanned on a chance from the slot.

Next: The Bruins will await the results of Wednesday’s Game 7 between Washington and Montreal to see who they will face next. If the Habs complete the upset of the top-seeded Caps, the Bruins will actually have home ice against No. 7 Philadelphia in a rematch of the Winter Classic. If Washington wins, the Bruins will open on the road at the defending Cup champion Penguins with a chance to renew acquaintances with Public Enemy No. 1 Matt Cooke. The dates for that second-round series won’t be set until the matchups are determined.

BOSTON — Welcome to the Garden, where the Bruins hope to wrap up this series with the Sabres tonight, while Buffalo aims to extend it to a Game 7 back in its building.

Check back here throughout the night for updates on all the action.

Final: Boston 4, Buffalo 3

All done at the Garden. They made it a little scary at the end, but the Bruins advance to the second round.

18:47-3rd – Buffalo goal

Vanek finishes a nice crossing pass from Pominville at the left circle. This one just got a little more interesting.

Vanek from Pominville, Lydman (18:47-3rd); Boston, 4-3

17:34-3rd – Miller out for the extra ttacker. Empty net for Buffalo.

14:49-3rd – Boston goal

Just seconds after being robbed in front by Miller, Satan gets another chance off a pass from the right point by Wideman down to Satan at the left post for teh easy tap-in. It’s a two-goal lead again. Let’s see if they can hold onto this one.

Satan from Wideman, Lucic (14:49-3rd); Boston, 4-2

13:29-3rd – Unnecessary icing by Wideman, who had options but dumped the puck the length of the ice. Rask makes a big stop on Pominville off the draw.

12:56-3rd – Boychuk wins race with Vanek to touch up icing. First sign of Vanek not being his old self. He’s played pretty well considering his ankle injury tonight and created a couple good scoring chances.

10:01-3rd – Wheeler with the chance in front with Miller out of the crease, but Wheeler’s backhand goes wide right of the open net. That one could haunt the B’s if they don’t pull this game out.

7:40-3rd – Buffalo goal

Well, that didn’t last long. Michael Ryder with the giveaway in the left corner right to Nathan Gerbe for a one-time blast in front.

Gerbe unassisted (7:40-3rd); Boston, 3-2

7:18-3rd – Boston goal

Lucic stops puck behind net, backhand feed out front to Krejci, who roofs it top right corner. Bruins back in front by two.

Krejci from Lucic, Satan (7:18-3rd); Boston, 3-1

7:06-3rd – Buffalo kills off the double minor. That’s a big chance for Boston to fail to convert. Satan had the best chance late, but his tip at the left post off a slap pass from Johnny Boychuk went wide. Satan also had a one-time bid from the right circle that Miller stopped.

3:06-3rd – Adam Mair clips Lucic coming across the middle of the Boston zone, gets four-minute double minor for high-sticking. Big chance for Boston to get some breathing room in this one.

1:11-3rd – Bad giveaway in corner by Hunwick to Ennis, who has a chance all alone in front, but Rask makes the save.

End second period – Boston, 2-1

- Big kill by the Bruins at the end of the period after the too many men call. The Sabres are now 0 for 3 tonight and 0 for 19 in the series on the power play. That’s been the difference, as Boston has two power-play goals tonight and six in the series.

- The Bruins were back on their heels for much of the second after going up 2-0. They struggled to get the puck out of their zone at times and only some big stops by Rask kept them ahead. They can’t afford to play like that in the third. They need to reassert themselves and go back on the attack, not sit back and hope a one-goal lead will hold up.

- Some very shaky officiating in this one. Twice the Sabres started scrums and the Bruins got the only penalties. Then an obvious hook on Sturm went uncalled. The Bruins should know by now they’re not going to get any breaks, so they better start making their own.

- The Sabres’ surge and the Bruins’ sag in play late in the second is reflected in the stats. The teams were even in hits in the second at nine apiece, and they are also even in blocked shots for the game at 9-9.

17:41-2nd – Bruins called for too many men on the ice. Buffalo goes on the power play.

15:23-2nd – Thomas Vanek makes his presence known for the first time as he blows by Wideman with a great move and stays ahead of Sobotka for a point-blank bid, but Rask is up to the task.

6:34-2nd – Buffalo goal

Dennis Wideman flashes his old form with a giveaway on a clearing attempt. Beautiful tic-tac-toe passing play by the Sabres off the turnvoer, with Adam Mair dishing it to Tim Kennedy, who one-touched it on to Patrick Kaleta for the deflection at the left post. No chance for Rask on that one.

Kaleta from Kennedy, Mair (6:34-2nd); Boston, 2-1

5:33-2nd – Sturm has breakaway chance, but blatant hook by Jason Pominville goes uncalled. Brutal officiating tonight. Looks like the zebras want a Game 7 by any means necessary.

4:11-2nd – Scrum along the boards with the Sabres looking like the aggressors with Tyler Myers and Adam Mair throwing shots, but Milan Lucic somehow gets the only call for roughing. Buffalo going on power play.

3:53-2nd – McQuaid makes a nice defensive play to break up potential 3-on-1 chance.

3:34-2nd – Krejci nearly makes it 3-0 with a bid down the right wing, but Miller flashes the glove. Killer stones him again from top of crease.

1:01-2nd – Boston goal

The Bruins quickly capitalize on the power-play chance, as David Krejci finds Mark Recchi down low behind the defense with a perfect pass from the high slot. Recchi fires it in from the right side along the goal line for the 2-0 advantage.

Recchi from Krejci, Patrice Bergeron (1:01-2nd) pp; Boston, 2-0

0:16-2nd – Buffalo’s Tim Connolly nabbed for cross-checking, Bruins going on a 4-on-3 power play.

End first period – Boston, 1-0

- Strong opening period for the Bruins, who not only grabbed their first lead in the first period of the series, but also came out hard and physical.

- Everybody has been involved in this one. When you have the likes of Wheeler, Satan and Hunwick throwing hits and getting into scrums, you know the whole team has come to play. Too often this year there’s been a lot of passengers along for the ride with this team. Tonight everyone has been carrying their weight.

- Now they just have to do it for another 40 minutes. The fact that they have overcome three early Buffalo leads to win in this series should be all the reminder the Bruins need that this one is far from over.

- Poor decision by Chara at the end to mar what was otherwise a nearly perfect period. Jumping in to defend his teammates in that scrum is fine, but continuing the altercation to the point of getting the only penalty is just foolish. Chara has to walk a tightrope. With his size and what happened at the end of Game 5, he has to know the refs will be looking for any excuse to toss him in the sin bin.

- The Bruns’ physical play is reflected by their 20-9 edge in hits. Vladimir Sobotka is back on his game after struggling in Game 5. he leads all players with four hits already. Steve Begin and Dabid Krejci each have three and Wheeler even has a pair.

20:00-1st -Lack of discipline costs the Bruins, as a scrum after the final whistles leads to just one penalty. Zdeno Chara going off for roughing for one too many face-washes in the pile. That negates the power play. The sides will start the second playing 4 on 4.

19:54-1st – Bruins get another power-play chance with Hendrik Tallinder off for delay of game.

19:1-1st – Sturm has chance on the rush, but fans on shot after cutting across the slot. That followed a Buffalo opportunity at the other end when Adam McQuaid fell down.

16:57-1st – Bad giveaway by Milan Lucic next to his own net, but Rask stones Mike Grier’s point-blank bid.

15:23-1st – Rask comes up with a big stop on Cody McCormick from the slot to keep it 1-0.

13:39-1st – Boston goal

The Bruins strike first for the first time in the series, as Mark Recchi sends a beautiful slap pass in from the top right circle that David Krejci redirects from the right slot off the inside of the far post.

Krejci from Recchi, Matt Hunwick (13:19-1st) pp; Boston, 1-0

12:34-1st – So much for letting them play, as old friend Steve Montador gets sent off for interference. First power-play chance for the Bruins.

11:39-1st – Gerbe has a chance in front after Toni Lydman sends in a fluttering point shot, but Rask covers up. Lots of hittin and scrums after every whistle. Great playoff action and the refs are letting them play.

10:05-1st – Matt Hunwick wrestles Kaleta down to the ice in a scrum in the Boston crease. No calls on the play. Good sign from the Bruins when even guys like Hunwick, Satan and Wheeler are getting involved in the physical play. This is a much more engaged Bruins team than we saw in Game 5 in Buffalo.

7:42-1st – Miroslav Satan gives big Tyler Myers a couple pops to the face along the boards in front of the benches after the whistle, but no calls made.

7:30-1st – Thomas Vanek, who opened the game on a checking line with Tim Kennedy and Patrick Kaleta, now out with Derek Roy and Jason Pominville. Looks like the ankle is holding up if he’s going to play on the top line.

3:46-1st – Daniel Paille with another short-handed chance, but Ryan Miller makes the save on shot from left circle. Bruins kill off penalty and have the better chances during the penalty.

2:46-1st – Bruins nearly score short-handed, as Patrice Bergeron breaks down right wing. He lost control trying to spin in slot, but Marco Sturm pounces on loose puck, only the clang the post.

2:32-1st – Buffalo gets an early power-play chance as Steve Begin is called for cross-checking

1:54-1st – Blake Wheeler with some rare physical play, as he hit Nathan Gerbe, then braced himself for Adam Mair’s hit, sending the Sabres center sprawling to the ice.

1:00-1st – Sabres with the first chance of the game, but Tuukka Rask flashes the pad on Tyler Ennis’s tip from the slot.

BOSTON — The Bruins and Sabres are just about set for Round 6 of this clash, as Boston tries to close out the series at home and Buffalo hopes to extend it to a Game 7 back at its building.

The Sabres will get top offensive threat Thomas Vanek back. He skated in warmups and is due to return for the first time since suffering a left ankle injury in Game 2. How effective he’ll be remains to be seen, but he will at least attmept to go and try to give the Sabres a spark.

Marc Savard will not dress for the Bruins. He did not skate in warmups and was still awaiting the results of his latest neuro tests from this afternoon.

The Bruins did not make any roster changes, but based on the pre-game skate, it appears they will stick with the new line combinations unveiled yesterday at practice. Marco Sturm is back up with Patrice Bergeron and Mark Recchi, while Milan Lucic is skating with David Krejci and Miroslav Satan and Daniel Paille is back on the fourth line with Steve Begin and Shawn Thornton. Only the third line of Vladimir Sobotka between Blake Wheeler and Michael Ryder remains unaltered.

Buffalo will need to make one additional scratch to reinsert Vanek into the lineup. They had 19 skaters in the warmup. Drew Stafford is expected to be the odd man out, as recent additions Cody McCormick and Nathan Gerbe have played well since getting the chance to skate in the postseason. Raffi Torres, a healthy scratch the last two games, and Matt Ellis, out since absorbing a huge Johnny Boychuk hit in Game 3, were not out for warmups.

UPDATE: Stafford is a scratch for Buffalo, along with Torres, Ellis and defenseman Chris Butler. Vanek is in the lineup.

Tyler Ennis (63) has been a surprising scoring star and pest to Tuukka Rask and the Bruins all series long, but Boston will try to send him and Sabres home tonight. (photo: Getty)

Matchup: Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins, 7 p.m. (NESN; 98.5 FM)

Series Status: Bruins lead, 3-2.

Regular-Season Records: Boston 39-30-13, 91 points; Buffalo 45-27-10, 100 points

Regular-Season Results: Boston took the season series 4-2-0, though one win was in overtime and another was in a shootout. The Bruins won the first two meetings this season with a 4-2 victory at the Garden on Nov. 7 and a 2-1 overtime win in Buffalo on Nov. 20 on the strength of Patrice Bergeron’s OT winner. The Sabres countered with a 2-1 win of their own in Buffalo on Jan. 29, but Boston won 3-2 in a shootout in Buffalo on Feb. 9. The Sabres jumped out to a 3-0 lead on the Bruins on March 29, driving Tim Thomas from the game, then held on for a 3-2 win. Boston took the final clash at the Garden on April 8, winning 3-1 as Miroslav Satan, Dennis Wideman and Mark Recchi scored and Tuukka Rask made 31 saves.

Past Playoff History: The Bruins have won five of the seven playoff series between the division rivals, but Buffalo has won the two most recent. The last time they met, the Sabres prevailed 4-2 in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 1999, which was the last time Boston advanced past the first round until sweeping Montreal last spring. Buffalo also won in the first round in 1993, sweeping Boston 4-0 in an Adams Division clash. Boston won 4-3 in 1992, 4-1 in 1989 and 4-2 in 1988 in other first-round Adams clashes. The Bruins also won 4-3 on the strength of Brad Park’s overtime goal in Game 7 in an Adams Division final in 1983, and won 3-1 in a first-round meeting in 1982.

Bruins Connections: Steve Montador was a trade deadline pickup last March from Anaheim, but signed with the Sabres in the offseason. In 78 games in Buffalo, he had 5-18-23 totals – second only to Tyler Myers among Sabres defensemen – and added 75 penalty minutes. He has made his presence felt in this series with a goal in Game 4, a team-high 12 blocked shots and 18 hits.

New England Ties: Former Boston University star Mike Grier (Holliston, Mass.) also signed with Buffalo over the summer. It’s Grier’s second stint with the Sabres, and he was 10-12-22 in 73 games. He had just one goal in his last 37 games of the regular season, but has scored a pair in the series and leads the Sabres with 30 hits. Former Boston College star Nathan Gerbe had 2-3-5 totals in 10 games this season with Buffalo, and made his playoff debut in Game 5 and had an assist.

Injury Update: The Sabres may get Thomas Vanek back after their top goal-scorer missed the last three games with a left foot injury suffered in Game 2. But Jochen Hecht (upper body) is not expected to play in the series and Matt Ellis remains questionable. He missed Games 4 and 5 after getting rocked by Johnny Boychuk with a huge open-ice hit in Game 3. For the Bruins, Marc Savard remains out with a concussion, but has resumed skating and could return soon. Defensemen Mark Stuart (finger surgery) and Dennis Seidenberg (forearm surgery) are out for the series.

Fight Card: After two games without a fight to open the series, each of the last three contests has featured a bout. The gloves finally came off for the first time late in Game 3 with the unlikely matchup of Vladimir Sobotka and Buffalo defenseman Andrej Sekera. In Game 4, it was a less surprising pair involved, as Milan Lucic landed some big rights in a bout with Sabres captain Craig Rivet. Game 5 ended with more hostilities, as Zdeno Chara took exception to a Paul Gaustad slash and started swinging. Chara wasn’t able to land anything before being tackled by several Sabres. Chara received the only fighting major, as well as an instigator call, which would have earned him a suspension for tonight’s game, but the NHL rescinded the call after the game and Chara is eligible to play in this one. The clubs also had five fights in their six regular-season meetings this year. Buffalo finished 27^th in the league with just 26 fighting majors this year, led by Montador’s seven, but before Game 4 the Sabres also recalled Cody McCormick, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound forward who had 168 penalty minutes and 11 fighting majors with Portland this season. The Bruins were 17^th in the NHL with 47 fights, led by Shawn Thornton’s 21.

Matchup to Watch: Zdeno Chara vs. Paul Gaustad. Think there might be some unfinished business left over from their last-second melee on Friday? Gaustad started that scrap with his slash to the back of Chara’s legs, but he backed off quickly when the big guy dropped the gloves looking for payback, only to start the tough guy act again once a bevy of Buffalo teammates had tackled Chara and the linesmen jumped in to keep everyone apart. These two have clashed before, with a running feud throughout their regular season meetings, and they’re sure to have a few more run-ins tonight. Gaustad is a valuable checking-line center for the Sabres with 17 hits, eight blocked shots and an assist while averaging 19:21 in the series, but Chara (2 goals, assist, 16 hits, 8 blocked shots, 29:05 average ice-time) is far more important to the Bruins. So the Bruins captain can’t let Gaustad continue to get under his skin and take him off the ice with penalties.

Under the radar: Tyler Ennis is one Sabre who hasn’t gotten a lot of attention, but he’s worth watching tonight. At 5-foot-9, 163 pounds, Ennis is easy to miss, but he’s been on target in this series. He’s the surprising scoring leader for the Sabres with 1-3-4 totals and also leads Buffalo with 17 shots while averaging 17:05 of ice-time. That includes a goal and an assist in Game 5, when he finished plus-2 with six shots. This didn’t exactly come out of nowhere, as the rookie had 3-6-9 totals in 10 regular-season games. He had a goal in the only game of his first callup in November, then returned in late March and played the final nine games of the regular season. Two of those games were against Boston, and he was held without a point and was minus-3 in those games. The Bruins need to shut him down that way again tonight.

Three Keys for the B’s:

1. Don’t let Buffalo bring this one home – The Bruins had plenty of success on the road in the regular season and struggled mightily at the Garden in the second half of the year. But the playoffs are a different animal, and the support of the home crowd came in handy in winning the first two games at the Garden. The Bruins wrested home ice from the Sabres by stealing one of the first two up in Buffalo, but taking a Game 7 in hostile territory would be a tall task, especially since that would mean the Sabres would be riding high with two straight wins. No, if the Bruins are going to take this series, they have to take care of business tonight on home ice. They can start by finally playing with a lead, as Buffalo has jumped out early with the opening goal in the first seven minutes of all five games so far.

2. Reinforcements ready? – Buffalo could get its top scoring threat Thomas Vanek back in this one, though he’ll likely be at less than 100 percent as he tries to return from an ankle injury. The Bruins probably won’t get a Willis Reed like return from Marc Savard to spark them, at least not in this game. The club’s top offensive player is getting close to a return from the Grade 2 concussion that has sidelined him since March 7. The Sabres have shuffled their lineup several times already, getting an energy boost in Game 4 by inserting tough guy Cody McCormick (2 assists, 9 hits in 2 games) and another spark in Game 5 by adding Nathan Gerbe (assist, 4 shots). So far the Bruins have stuck with the same lineup in every game, but will Claude Julien look to shake things up after the loss in Buffalo on Friday?

3. Hit parade – For two teams that didn’t feature much physical play on a regular basis in the regular season, this series has been a nasty, hard-hitting affair. They’ve combined for 397 hits through five games, an average of 79.4 a game. Buffalo has a 209-188 edge so far, with most of that coming from a 45-25 advantage in Game 5. The Bruins came out flat on Friday and the Sabres took it too them. They can’t afford to do that again tonight. Boston needs to be the team setting the tone, as it did earlier in the series when Johnny Boychuk and Vladimir Sobotka were driving the Sabres to distraction – and sometimes to the training room – with their aggressive play. They need to get back to that tonight, with Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara also bringing the pain as they’re capable of doing. But everyone needs to finish their hits and force turnovers with a strong forecheck.

The Lowdown: The Bruins remain in control of the series up 3-2, but don’t think that they’ve outplayed the Sabres by any wide margin. The two clubs have been virtual mirror images of each other. They’ve each scored 12 goals in the series. Buffalo’s have come early, with a 7-1 edge in the first period. The Bruins have balanced that with late rallies, outscoring the Sabres 7-1 in the third. Tuukka Rask and Ryan Miller have identical 2.03 goals-against averages, with Miller’s .936 save percentage just slightly better than Rask’s .933, but Rask has the extra win to more than balance that out. Boston has outshot Buffalo 173-164 despite the Sabres’ 59-44 edge in the first period. Boston’s advantage would be even greater, but the Sabres have blocked 98 shots in the series, compared to just 67 for Boston. That’s an effort stat, and the Bruins need to improve in that area after a distinct lack of urgency and desperation in their game on Friday. The Bruins are actually minus-22 as a team, with 13 players a minus so far in the series, four skaters even and only Patrice Bergeron a plus at plus-1. Buffalo, meanwhile, is plus-20 as a team, with 15 players sporting plusses, four even and only two a minus (Tim Connolly and Jason Pominville both at minus-1). The difference so far has been on special teams. The Bruins, who struggled so mightily without Savard on the power play in the regular season, are 4 for 17 (23.5 percent) in the series, while Buffalo has failed to score on 16 chances. The Bruins have three of those power-play goals in the last two games, and they’ve also had 11 chances with the man-advantage to Buffalo’s four in Games 4 and 5.

History is on the Bruins’ side, as they are 14-1 when going up 3-1 in a best of seven series, while Buffalo is 0-11 when trailing 3-1. That includes head-to-head matchups in the old Adams Division days in 1989 and 1992. Of course, Buffalo has already bucked that trend once by winning Game 5, but Boston is still 16-3 when up 3-2 in a seven-game series. They’ve only won nine of the 19 Game 6s in that scenario, however, so this one might not end tonight. The Bruins might need it to though. They don’t want to have to face the Sabres in a winner-take-all Game 7 back up in Buffalo, which makes this one a must-win for both sides.

Bruins coach Claude Julien didn't enjoy the view from the bench as his club turned in a weak effort and was dominated by Buffalo in Game 5. (photo: Getty)

Final: Buffalo 4, Boston 1

This time, there was no dramatic comeback. The Bruins fell behind early for the fifth straight game in the series, but unlike the previous three games, they weren’t able to answer as the Sabres stayed alive with a Game 5 in Buffalo. The Bruins will have another chance to close out the series at home on Monday, but they’ll need a much better effort than they had in this one to do it.

Series Status: Bruins lead, 3-2.

Revisiting the Three Keys for the B’s:

1. Finish it now – The Bruins didn’t play like a team riding a high from Wednesday’s double-OT win, and Buffalo certainly didn’t look like a team demoralized by that loss. Buffalo started fast and outplayed, outhit and outhustled the Bruins throughout. The Sabres earned the right to play another day, and the Bruins better find a way to match Buffalo’s intensity or they will be playing another game after Monday – and maybe no more after that.

2. Keep Roy quiet – Buffalo center Derek Roy didn’t have a huge night, but he did set up what proved the game-winning goal by Jason Pominville for just his second point of the series. Roy was much more engaged and active in this one than the previous three games, with two shots, a hit and three blocked shots to finish plus-1 in 20:51.

3. Get Wheels rolling – Blake Wheeler continues to spins his wheels ineffectively, finishing a minus-3 with just one shot in 12:51. He now has just one goal in his last 19 games and none in 13 career playoff games. Wheeler was far from alone in turning in a weak effort tonight, but he needs to do a lot more to warrant a continued place in the lineup.

Key Play of the Game:

The Bruins came out flat and fell behind early when Buffalo scored 1:54 in. But they had overcome early goals like that all series. The killer was Buffalo’s second goal with just 1:06 left in the first. Andrew Ference was unable to clear the puck, but the Bruins still had numbers back and Vladimir Sobotka gained control, only to have Tyler Ennis poke it away from him to Roy, who fed it down low to Pominville. Pominville then deked around Tuukka Rask and tucked the puck in at the right post for a 2-0 deficit that the Bruins couldn’t overcome.

Fight Card:

This was the third straight game with a fight in this series. Well, a “fight” in name at least. Zdeno Chara took exception to a slash from behind from Paul Gaustad in the closing seconds and turned around and started firing punches at anything in blue. Not much connected, as a trio of Sabres converged on Chara and dragged the big man down. Chara and Cody McCormick got tangled up later in the scrum, but the linesmen wouldn’t let them get at each other. Ryan Miller and Miroslav Satan also paired off, but nothing developed there. In the end, Chara got the only fighting major, along with an instigator penalty and a game misconduct. Gaustad got a slashing minor, McCormick a roughing minor and a misconduct, Miller a minor for leaving the crease and Satan a roughing minor and a misconduct. An instigator in the final five minutes carries an “automatic” one-game suspension, but the NHL has already announced that Chara’s one-game ban has been rescinded and he will be eligible to play in Game 6.

Flynn’s Finest:

There wasn’t much to like about this one. Johnny Boychuk remained one of the few bright spots, as he scored with 2:30 left to avoid the shutout, launching a one-timer off a Dennis Wideman pass just inside the far post from the left point. He also had five shots (and actually attempted 10, though 4 missed the net and one was blocked) to go along with two hits, a takeaway and a blocked shot. He helped prevent a goal with a hit on Tyler Ennis after Tuukka Rask misplayed the puck behind the net. … David Krejci was one of the few Bruins to play with some energy, dishing out four hits and adding three shots, including a point-blank bid in the opening minute that could have completely changed the complexion of the game if Ryan Miller hadn’t come up with a huge save. … The special teams continued their solid play, with the penalty kill still perfect after denying Buffalo on two power-play chances. The Sabres are now 0 for 16 on the power play in the series. Boston’s only goal came on the power play, giving them three goals on the man-advantage in the last two games. The Bruins were still just 1 for 5 on the power play, though they did manage 11 shots.

Flynn’s Sin Bin:

Did anyone bother to tell the Bruins that Game 5 was tonight? Because no one in Black and Gold showed up for this one. The players all paid lip service to knowing how hard it would be to close out the series in Buffalo, but they certainly didn’t play like it. The Bruins fell behind 2-0 in the first after being outshot 12-5 and outhit 17-8. Buffalo added another goal in the second, and the shot edge stood at 26-14 and the advantage in hits was at 27-12 after 40 minutes. The Bruins finally showed up in the third, outshooting Buffalo 21-7 for a 35-33 overall edge, but by then the Sabres were sitting back to protect their lead. Buffalo still had a 35-25 edge in hits and had 26 blocked shots to Boston’s 9. Those stats are all indicative of the effort level of the respective clubs in this one. … Individually, Vladimir Sobotka had his first poor game of the series, finishing a minus-3 with a giveaway that led to Buffalo’s second goal. He had just one hit and one shot in 12:57. … Blake Wheeler’s struggles continued as he was also a minus-3 and was scoreless again with just one shot. … Marco Sturm also failed to score again and managed just one shot and put Boston short-handed with a high-sticking penalty. … Shawn Thornton committed the other penalty that gave Buffalo a power play, as he was called for elbowing when he got his arms up as Patrick Kaleta came in to hit him at the blue line. … Milan Lucic had three hits, but was a minus-1 with no shots. This is the first postseason in his young career Lucic hasn’t elevated his game and been a difference maker. … It was good to see some emotion from Zdeno Chara, but risking a suspension for his end-game instigator wasn’t wise. He was also a minus-2 with just four of his 10 shot attempts finding the net (4 missed and 2 were blocked) in 25:33.

Next: The Bruins will try again to close out the series in Game 6 back in Boston on Monday.

The Bruins finally put a little effort into the third period, but it was far too little and too late to change the outcome of this one. Johnny Boychuk broke up the shutout late, but Buffalo stays alive with a convincing 4-1 win. The Bruins will get another shot to close out the series back in Boston on Monday, but they’ll need to play with a lot more intensity and a much better effort than what they showed tonight if they want any chance to do that.

Some closing thoughts from the third period of a disappointing effort in Buffalo:

- The Bruins finally showed up in the third, outshooting Buffalo 21-7 in the period and outhitting the Sabres 13-8. But they only managed one goal out of it, which Buffalo quickly got back with an empty-netter. And overall the numbers still looked pretty ugly. Boston finished up 35-33 in shots, but Buffalo outhit the B’s 35-25 and had 26 blocked shots to the Bruins’ 9. Those are effort categories, and the Bruins came up sorely lacking in that department tonight.

- As frustrating as the Bruins’ lack of urgency in closing this one out was, credit also has to go to the Sabres. They could easily have folded their tents after going down 3-1 in the series following a demoralizing double-OT loss on Wednesday. Instead, they came back with the desperation they needed and thoroughly outplayed Boston when it mattered most in the early going to put the game out of reach.

- Ryan Miller came up big early in the third, stoning both Vladimir Sobotka and Matt Hunwick on bids. He finished with 34 saves in his best performance of the series.

- One bright spot for the Bruins was the power play converting again, as Boychuk prevented the shutout with a one-timer from the left point after Derek Roy was sent off for slashing. That’s three power-play goals in the last two games, a much-needed improvement on the man-advantage for the Bruins. Boychuk also came up big with a hit on Tyler Ennis to prevent a scoring chance after Tuukka Rask mishandled the puck behind the net.

- There wasn’t much hope for the Bruins to complete the comeback with just 2:30 left when Boychuk scored, but any hope ended when Ennis made another nice hustle play, beating Dennis Wideman to the puck and making a diving , one-handed poke to put home an empty-netter to ice it with 1:43 remaining.

- Scary sight midway through the third when Mike Grier was hit in the face blocking a Wideman shot. Grier was cut, but returned later in the game.

- Tempers flared in the final seconds, as Zdeno Chara took exception to a slash and turned around and started firing punches at anyone in blue. Chara, who was playing without the cage to protect his broken nose for the first time, was quickly tackled as everyone on the ice piled in. Even Miller nearly got into it as he was paired off with Miroslav Satan, but order was eventually restored without any true fights breaking out. Hopefully the Bruins can carry some of that emotion over to Monday night and not wait until the third period to show up.

The Bruins don’t have to worry about rallying from two goals down anymore. Now they have to come back from a 3-0 deficit in the third if they want to close out this series tonight. That’s a tall order. And it certainly won’t be happening if the Bruins continue to sleepwalk their way through the third the way they have in the first 40 minutes.

Some quick thoughts from the second period:

- Buffalo continued the onslaught early in the second, hitting the post twice in one mad scramble early in a power play after Marco Sturm was sent off for high-sticking Derek Roy. Zdeno Chara also had to clear a puck off the line to save a goal in that same sequence.

- Rask later made his best save of the night on a point-blank blast from the right slot by Tyler Ennis. The Sabres move to 0 for 16 on the power play in the series, but that might have been their best man-advantage of the series yet. Lots of sustained pressure and near goals.

- Just 13 seconds after Sturm’s penalty expired, Buffalo finally pushed its lead to three goals for the first time in the series. Paul Gaustad won a face-off in the right circle clean against Patrice Bergeron, sending to back to Mike Grier (Holliston, Mass.) at the top of the circle, and Grier one-timed his second goal of the series off the inside of the far post at 9:22.

- Tuukka Rask hasn’t been at his best in this one, but he’s the only reason the Bruins aren’t down even more right now. Rask has robbed Ennis multiple times, including a huge save late when Ennis had a chance in front after Tyler Myers sent a point shot off the end boards that bounces right to Ennis at the top of the crease.

- Vladimir Sobotka, called out by Lindy Ruff before the game, has responded with his worst effort of the playoffs. He is a minus-2 with no shots and no hits through two periods. For Buffalo, Grier has five hits and three shots to go with his goal, while Gaustad has five hits in addition to his assist. The matchup of hit machines Sobotka and Grier was the one I highlighted to watch in my pre-game skate, and Grier has dominated that battle, just as Buffalo has dominated the Bruins so far.

- Beyond the 3-0 score, the numbers on the stat sheet are ugly for the Bruins, reflecting accurately just how poor an effort they’ve put in so far tonight. Buffalo is dominating all the effort stats, leading 26-14 in shots,  27-12 in hits and 19-6 in blocked shots. Looks like only one team has come to play tonight.

The Bruins have rallied from two-goal deficits twice in this series. If they want to close out the Sabres tonight, they’ll have to do it a third time. Buffalo has come out with much more intensity and determination than the Bruins to start this one tonight, and the Sabres have a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes as a result.

Here are some quick thoughts from the first period:

- For the fifth straight time in the series, Buffalo has struck first with an early goal. This was the fastest one yet, as Adam Mair scored on a wraparound at the left post just 1:54 into the first. So far in the five games, the Sabres have struck first at 4:52, 2:55, 6:57, 2:12 and now 1:54 into the first period. Boston College product Nathan Gerbe, was was inserted into the lineup for the first time tonight, and tough guy Cody McCormick, who was called up before Game 4, picked up assists on the play.

- Marco Sturm remains snakebit. He had a chance to tie it with 4:32 left in the first after David Krejci made a nifty play around a defender down the right boards and centered it to Sturm at the left post. Sturm was behind Ryan Miller and had an open net in front of him, but the puck skipped over his stick and went off his skate and wide. Not sure if it would have counted if it went in or would have been waved off for a kick, but we won’t have to worry about that as Sturm can’t even kick one in these days . After scoring just once in the final 16 games of teh regular season, he’s still searching for his fist goal in this series.

- Shawn Thornton took an elbowing penalty when he got his arms up on Patrick Kaleta when the Sabres agitator came in to hit him. But the Bruins PK remains a perfect 15 for 15 on the series, with Buffalo managing just one shot. Boston actually had the best scoring chance, as Daniel Paille’s backhand bid from the left slot clanged off the far post just as the penalty expired.

- Killer goal to make it 2-0 with just 1:06 left. Real sloppy play by the Bruins in their own zone led to that chance. Andrew Ference was unable to clear the puck, but the Bruins still had numbers back and Vladimir Sobotka gained control, only to have Tyler Ennis poke it away from him to Derek Roy, who fed it down low to Jason Pominville. Pminville then deked around Tuukka Rask and tucked the puck in at the right post.

- The Bruins have been thoroughly outplayed so far. For all the lip service about knowing the series isn’t over, they’ve played like they thought they’d already wrapped up the series. No one bothered to tell the Sabres though, as Buffalo outshot Boston 12-5 in the first. The Sabres also have a commanding 17-8 edge in hits and have blocked 12 shots to Boston’s 3. Those stats all point to far greater effort, intensity and urgency from the Sabres. The Bruins need to start matching that desperation if they want to avoid playing a Game 6 back in Boston.

The Bruins, sitting with a 3-1 lead in the series, have not surprisingly stuck with the same lineup tonight that they’ve used in the first four games. Boston has made one tweak in its line combinations, moving Daniel Paille up to the top line with Patrice Bergeron and Mark Recchi. Milan Lucic moves down to the fourth line with Steve Begin and Shawn Thornton. Claude Julien actually made that chance during Wednesday’s Game 4 in Boston, and will stick with it after getting solid results.

No other changes tonight for the Bruins. Marc Savard made the trip and skated with the club in the morning skate for the first time, but he still needs to get back into game shape before the Bruins can think about reasserting him into the lineup for the first time since suffering a Grade 2 concussion on March 7.

The Sabres have made some changes. Top sniper Thomas Vanek (ankle) remains out, as does Matt Ellis, who was rocked by a Johnny Boychuk check in Game 3. Raffi Torres will also be a healthy scratch in this one, with former Boston College star Nathan Gerbe getting to play his first playoff game in his place. Torres was Buffalo’s top pickup at the trade deadline and was one of the players the Bruins were criticized for not acquiring, but has done little in the series to warrant staying in the lineup.

Zdeno Chara (right) and the Bruins hope to trip up Tyler Myers and the Sabres one final time in Game 5 tonight in Buffalo. (photo: Getty)

Matchup: Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m. (NESN; 98.5 FM)

Series Status: Bruins lead, 3-1.

Regular-Season Records: Boston 39-30-13, 91 points; Buffalo 45-27-10, 100 points

Regular-Season Results: Boston took the season series 4-2-0, though one win was in overtime and another was in a shootout. The Bruins won the first two meetings this season with a 4-2 victory at the Garden on Nov. 7 and a 2-1 overtime win in Buffalo on Nov. 20 on the strength of Patrice Bergeron’s OT winner. The Sabres countered with a 2-1 win of their own in Buffalo on Jan. 29, but Boston won 3-2 in a shootout in Buffalo on Feb. 9. The Sabres jumped out to a 3-0 lead on the Bruins on March 29, driving Tim Thomas from the game, then held on for a 3-2 win. Boston took the final clash at the Garden on April 8, winning 3-1 as Miroslav Satan, Dennis Wideman and Mark Recchi scored and Tuukka Rask made 31 saves.

Past Playoff History: The Bruins have won five of the seven playoff series between the division rivals, but Buffalo has won the two most recent. The last time they met, the Sabres prevailed 4-2 in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 1999, which was the last time Boston advanced past the first round until sweeping Montreal last spring. Buffalo also won in the first round in 1993, sweeping Boston 4-0 in an Adams Division clash. Boston won 4-3 in 1992, 4-1 in 1989 and 4-2 in 1988 in other first-round Adams clashes. The Bruins also won 4-3 on the strength of Brad Park’s overtime goal in Game 7 in an Adams Division final in 1983, and won 3-1 in a first-round meeting in 1982.

Bruins Connections: Steve Montador was a trade deadline pickup last March from Anaheim, but signed with the Sabres in the offseason. In 78 games in Buffalo, he had 5-18-23 totals – second only to Tyler Myers among Sabres defensemen – and added 75 penalty minutes.

New England Ties: Former Boston University star Mike Grier (Holliston, Mass.) also signed with Buffalo over the summer. It’s Grier’s second stint with the Sabres, and he was 10-12-22 in 73 games, but has just one goal in his last 37 games. Former Boston College star Nathan Gerbe had 2-3-5 totals in 10 games this season with Buffalo, but he’s currently down with their AHL affiliate in Portland.

Injury Update: The Sabres are likely to still be without Thomas Vanek, who suffered a left foot injury in Game 2, while Jochen Hecht (upper body) is not expected to play in the series. Buffalo did get Drew Stafford (concussion) back in Game 3, but Matt Ellis missed Game 4 after getting rocked by Johnny Boychuk with a huge open-ice hit on Monday. For the Bruins, Marc Savard remains out with a concussion, but has resumed skating and could return later in the playoffs. Defensemen Mark Stuart (finger surgery) and Dennis Seidenberg (forearm surgery) are also out for the series.

Fight Card: After two games without a fight to open the series, each of the last two contests has featured a bout. The gloves finally came off for the first time late in Game 3 with the unlikely matchup of Vladimir Sobotka and Buffalo defenseman Andrej Sekera. In Game 4, it was a less surprising pair involved, as Milan Lucic landed some big rights in a scrap with Sabres captain Craig Rivet. Both of those fights were in Boston. Don’t the Buffalo fans deserve to see at least one more scrap before their season is over? The clubs also had five fights in their six regular-season meetings this year. Buffalo finished 27^th in the league with just 26 fighting majors this year, led by Montador’s seven, but before Game 4 the Sabres also recalled Cody McCormick, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound forward who had 168 penalty minutes and 11 fighting majors with Portland this season. The Bruins were 17^th in the NHL with 47 fights, led by Shawn Thornton’s 21.

Matchup to Watch: Vladimir Sobotka vs. Mike Grier. There might not be a lot of similarities between this two at first glance. Sobotka is a 22-year-old from the Czech Republic who barely tips the scales at 5-foot-10, 183 pounds. Grier is 35 and hails from Holliston, Mass. and the 6-foot-1, 227-pounder is built more like one of the football players his father Bobby used to scout for the Patriots and Texans as an NFL executive. But Sobotka and Grier have had a similar impact in this series. Grier leads the Sabres with 25 hits through four games, while Sobotka has 23 to lead the Bruins. The only players with more hits than either of them in the playoffs are Jarkko Ruutu (27), Mike Fisher (24) and Brooks Orpik (24), who have all played five games. Grier also has a goal, 14 shots and six blocked shots while averaging 19:31 a game. Sobotka has two assists, has won 55.6 percent of his face-offs and is plus-1 while averaging 14:20 a game. Whichever one can continue to disrupt the opposition most effectively will have a major impact on this game.

Three Keys for the B’s:

1. Finish it now – The Bruins have all the momentum now, having won three straight, including Wednesday’s dramatic rally in the third period, followed by finally pulling out the dramatic victory in double OT. The Sabres are reeling after that one, and the Bruins can’t afford to let them regain any hope. Boston is 17-1 in series when leading 3-1, but that one loss came the last time Boston led 3-1 in a series – after an overtime win in Game 4 no less – and Montreal rallied to beat the Bruins. Boston nearly did the same thing to Montreal in 2008 and Carolina last year, forcing seventh games after falling behind 3-1, so the Bruins should no this one is far from over and need to come with their best effort yet tonight.

2. Keep Roy quiet – Buffalo center Derek Roy has long been a thorn in the Bruins’ side, with 33 points in 40 career games against Boston in the regular season. And he added an assist in Game 1 of this series. But he’s been invisible since, with no points in the last three games, all of which the Sabres lost. He’s capable of catching fire though, as he ended the regular season with 7-6-13 totals in his final nine games, with the lone goal in a 3-1 loss to the Bruins and an assist on the game-winner in a 3-2 victory over Boston in that stretch. The Bruins can’t allow him to get back on track and be a difference maker again.

3. Get Wheels rolling – With an offense that sputtered most of the season, the Bruins – even though they’ve managed just enough scoring to take a 3-1 series lead – can’t afford to have any of their limited arsenal firing blanks. Blake Wheeler has been doing that for the past month. He had just one goal in his final 14 games in the regular season, and has also failed to score in the first four games of this series. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound Wheeler hasn’t done much else to make up for that lack of scoring, with a team-low one hit in the four games and just one blocked shot. He was the only Bruins without a hit in Wednesday’s marathon and also has just 10 shots in the series (and five of those came in Game 1), despite averaging 15:01 of ice-time. The Bruins need a lot more production from him, or he could find himself benched as he was last year, when he had no points, seven hits and just four shots in eight playoff games before being relegated to the press box against Carolina.

The Lowdown: The Bruins have a chance to complete an upset that would have seemed unlikely a few short weeks ago. Of course, if they had played the way they’ve played in this series all season long, there would be nothing surprising about the Bruins being in control of their first-round playoff matchup. The Bruins have successfully put their disappointing regular season behind them and are one win away from winning a playoff series for just the second time since 1999. That playoff run in 1999 ended against Buffalo. This year they have a chance to start something special here against the Sabres.