Stanley Cup Game 5: Kane and Able

By Kevin Aherne

The march to the 2013 Stanley Cup just became a lot steeper for the Boston Bruins.

Patrick Kane netted back-to-back goals to open up Game 5, and that's all the Blackhawks would need to take a 3-2 series lead in the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals.  The 24-year old center bested Tuukka Rask with a backhand shot at the close of the First Period, and then followed up with an encore just into the Second. 

Zdeno Chara put the B's on the board with a deep slapshot early into the Third Period, but that was not enough to jump start a Boston offense that only registered 24 shots on goal.  The Bruins had to play most of the game without their star center Patrice Bergeron, after he suffered an abdominal injury which landed him in the hospital.

The good news; Patrice Bergeron is back and ready to play in Game 6 at home in Boston.  The bad news; The Bruins are in a must-win game against a team who is catching fire at the right time.  Blackhawk goaltender Corey Crawford has been an institution in the crease, and Chicago's Big 3 (Kane, Toews, and Hossa) are playing their best hockey of the playoffs.

If the Bruins are going to live to fight another day, they need to come out and play the smash-mouth style that has gotten them past Toronto, New York, and Pittsburgh. If they keep allowing Chicago to charge up and down the ice, the Bruins are going to be on the losing end of the first Original Six championship in 34 years.