Bruins Hope Experience Makes Difference In Game 7 vs. Capitals
BOSTON (CBS) – The Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals are heading for a Game 7 on Wednesday.
Luckily for the Bruins they have plenty of Game 7 experience from last year, taking three of them en route to a Stanley Cup championship.
"I think it helps a lot," Tyler Seguin said after netting the OT winner in Sunday's 4-3 Game 6 victory. "I think going into tonight as well, Game 6, I'm not personally familiar with everyone on their team and what their playoff experiences is but we know coming off last year we shut out the ice. So seeing what happened tonight we hope to bring that experience the next game at home."
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"We're a character group and we've been through this before and we know what it takes," assistant captain Patrice Bergeron said. "It's not over until you get that fourth win. (Sunday) was a huge effort. We played well and found a way to live another day. We need to be ready for Game 7."
Fans could have seen a Game 7 coming in this series. Each team is just 1-2 on their home ice so far, with three of the six games needing extra hockey to decide a winner. Each game has been decided by just one goal.
"It's been the type of series that's been so close that it deserves a Game 7," said defenseman Andrew Ference, who scored his first goal of the playoffs in the third period on Sunday. "It's kind of fitting that either team has not given the other team too much in the way of leads, or being able to hold onto leads. It's been a good hockey series and a Game 7 is well deserved on both sides."
"It's been a great series. Washington's a great team and we were battling and for whatever reason the game lasted and they didn't make it easy on ourselves," added Seguin. "You go the extra mile; Game 7 at the Garden, it's what we've been working for -- home ice advantage -- so we're going to seize the opportunity."
"You expect your team to show the experience that they've gained in the past," said head coach Claude Julien. "I said that (before Game 6). When you go through those kinds of situations you can handle those a lot better and we had a Game 6 last year -- do or die in the finals -- that we were able to overcome. So, I'm hoping it served us tonight and three Game 7's last year."
"There's no guarantee in anything but you got to like the experience that you have going into Game 7," added Julien.
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