Senators defeat Bruins to take 3-1 series lead

“I should’ve capitalized on at least one of them”, a terse Marchand said in a somber locker room postgame.

The number in question was 12.

The Senators pushed the Bruins to the brink of elimination with the club’s third straight win of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal with a massive 1-0 victory in Game 4 on Wednesday night at the TD Garden to take a 3-1 series lead.

The Bruins pulled Rask with nearly 2 minutes left and managed a couple of scoring chances – both from Brad Marchand – but Anderson turned them away.

The waiting game continues for Mark Borowiecki and the Senators. “Boro is getting closer everyday”, coach Guy Boucher said.

After taking the lead, the Senators did what they do best, clogging the neutral zone and the front of their net as the Bruins tried to equalize.

“I kind of got reassured that I’ll have those relationships for the rest of my life – that they don’t just disappear”, McAvoy said.

“When I was in junior, I had Johnny Bower for a day”, Anderson said.

“It’s nice and slow and strategic moves”, Anderson said.

“They’re able to see through the traffic in times of pressure, their minds seem to be working either faster than everybody else or they seem to be able to slow down the pace of the game in their minds to a level that not a lot of guys can do”. He was nervous, I was nervous.

“I was just trying to be focused”, said Anderson, who apologized to the media. Frustration is the goal of the Senators’ smothering defensive style and frustrated the Bruins have become.

His lack of production certainly had an effect on the Ottawa Senators offense throughout the year, as the team finished 22nd in scoring in the National Hockey League and had pundits wondering if it could hang in a series with a team like Boston.

While Pastrnak and Bergeron have stayed mostly even with their regular-season stride, Marchand, the team’s leading scorer, has been noticeably absent from the score sheet, with just one goal, in Game 1 of the series.

“It’s frustrating when you have two Grade A chances”. But all, in the end, got an F for they failed to light the lamp. Later in the frame, Bergeron sent a pass off the left wing boards to a streaking Marchand, who bore in on Anderson as the netminder came out of his crease to cut down the angle. “I’m not too anxious about that”. You go back however long they went, you can’t argue with it. Derick Brassard also earned an assist on the play, as the trio each have 5 points on Ottawa’s 10 goals in the series. We just have to keep fighting.

Karlsson had Ottawa’s best chance, jumping up into the rush and finding himself face to face with Rask, the Boston goalie, who had to make a solid save on a tough chance. You’re getting an opportunity, and one that you probably wanted more of during the year. He managed just one shot on net and didn’t look like much of an offensive threat. He gave short, mostly one-word answers in a scrum with the media that lasted 31 seconds.

The 6-foot, 208-pound right shot has also fit in seamlessly on the Bruins’ first power-play unit. Boston hasn’t won a home playoff game since May 10, 2014.

“Very good goaltending on both sides”, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “They’re always five back”. We know what we have to do to be successful. Charlie Jr. donned his first ice skates when he was 3. We did have our opportunities and we didn’t bury them.

Maybe it was playing to his opponent, maybe both goaltenders just turned things on in the same game – but in a contest where Rask’s only allowed tally was a bit of a fluke from Bobby Ryan, Anderson matched that with a shutout of his own.

“It’s such a thin line”, said Brad Marchand.