Boston Bruins: Round Three Game Four (Lightning)

     I was already to write my blog all about how the Bruins are looking like the best team in hockey and then the you know what hit the fan.  Either the Lightning made some big changes in between periods or Boucher made a "Miracle" type speech or the Bruins just fell apart.  I'm not sure what it was but after watching four games of this series I'm leaning towards the Bruins falling apart.  There has only been one game in the last four that the Bruins have finished anywhere near as strong as they began.  Each third period, with the exception of game 3, has felt like the Bruins are just trying to survive.  Are the Lightning just better conditioned?  It feels like it.  The B's just don't seem to have the legs late in games that Tampa has.
      The other thing to consider is that this Bruins team all year has had a tendency to go through spells of pure stupidity.  Making bad passes, missing defensive assignments, taking stupid penalties.  Luckily, Tim Thomas has been there more times then not to save the team's bacon, to cover up whatever series of mistakes they make.  Yesterday was not one of those cases.  It's hard to fault Thomas for anything that happens after the historic year he put in and all the times so far in the playoffs that he's been asked to stand on his head, but all but one of the Lightning goals were pretty weak.  Even though the scoring chances were caused by bad decisions or stupid play, they were shots that Thomas would usually eat up.  Julian seems to be the type of coach that never sits his veterans, something he's proving by keeping Kaberle on the ice night after night, but maybe if Thomas puts in another effort like this in the next game, he should think about giving Rask some minutes.  We have the best one-two goaltending punch in hockey, it can't hurt to use it.  Again, that's not saying anything bad about Thomas, just that maybe he needs a little rest and our backup would be starting on most other teams.
     The next game is a big one, a must win for the Bruins.  They need to come out strong and put a stop to whatever momentum Tampa is riding from this three goal comeback.  Then they need to figure out how to keep that going for 60 minutes.  They don't want to head back to Tampa, one game away from elimination, with Tampa feeling unbeatable.