ECF: Rask Shines Again As Bruins Sweep Penguins To Advance To Stanley Cup Final

Four games, and the Penguins explosive offense could manage just 2 goals.  NOT two per game, but two goals TOTAL, the second fewest of any series 4 games or longer in NHL history.   There will no doubt be a lot of questions coming out of Pittsburgh in the coming weeks, but that is not to discount the performance of the Boston Bruins and most notably goalie Tuukka Rask.

Jun 7, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tomas Vokoun (92) hugs Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask (40) after the Bruins defeated Pittsburg in game four of the Eastern Conference finals of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Michael Ivins-USA TODAY Sports

Pittsburgh did not give up, as Tomas Vokoun played his second straight strong game, but a defensive blunder on a bad line change cost the Penguins when Brad Marchand drew three Pens defenders to him, allowing Adam McQuaid to walk in alone and wire a shot top corner 5 minutes into the third period for the game’s only goal.

Evgeni Malkin had the best chance to tie the game up in the dying seconds, as he had Rask beat and an open net, but a sprawling Zdeno Chara got his glove on the puck and took the sure goal away.

Boston is firing on all cylinders and look nothing like the team that was moments away from being ousted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in game 7 of their first round series.  Since then, they are 8-1 and haven’t really been in any trouble.  They are now back in Boston hoping that the LA Kings can win a couple of games and force the Western Conference Final to go the full 7, as they will have a full week off before the Finals are apparently set to start next Saturday, regardless of when the West is won.