ESPN

BOSTON -- The Chicago Blackhawks scored twice in 17 seconds to erase a 2-1 Boston Bruins lead and win the Stanley Cup in six games. Bryan Bickell tied the game with 1:16 left and then Dave Bolland scored the game winner with 58.3 seconds left in regulation to bring the Bruins' season to a stunning end.

Milan Lucic had given the Bruins the lead 12:11 into the third period. They seemed to be in control, but the Bruins fell apart in the final two minutes and will be left to wonder what happened all summer long.

Chris Kelly had the Bruins' first goal. Jonathan Toews scored the Blackhawks' first goal to even the game at 1-1. Tuukka Rask had 28 saves for Boston, and Corey Crawford finished with 23 for the Blackhawks.

Mental lapse by Bruins at worst possible time: The Bruins admitted they suffered from nerves and mental lapses in the opening period of Game 5, putting them behind the eight ball right away. But what happened in the final 1:16 of regulation in Game 6 was a mental lapse of epic proportions. All of a sudden the Bruins seemed frozen, or perhaps they were thinking ahead to Game 7. And then the Blackhawks pounced. There was no coverage in front of the net, and Chicago moved the puck toward the net with too much ease. This was a breakdown the Bruins will never forget.

Lucic a beast again: Lucic capped off his best playoff season by playing arguably his best game of the playoffs. Lucic gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead 12:11 into the third period and was masterful on the faceoff dot, winning seven of nine attempts. As he was throughout the postseason, Lucic was a physical force in Game 6, driving to the net and creating traffic in front. He finished the playoffs with seven goals and 18 points and showed he can play in the clutch.

Jagr and Bergeron battle through: After leaving Game 5 with an undisclosed injury and getting examined in a Chicago-area hospital, Patrice Bergeron suited up and played Game 6. Bergeron played 24 shifts, had 17:45 of ice time and won five of 11 faceoffs he took. He was clearly hurting, but give him tons of credit for giving his all to try to help his team force a Game 7. Meanwhile, the Bruins had to deal with another unexpected injury as Jaromir Jagr was hurt early on and missed the rest of the opening period. He tried to give it a go in the second period but could take only one shift before returning to the dressing room for treatment. But Jagr toughed it out and came back to play more in the third period. He finished with nine shifts and 6:27 of ice time.

Bruins' power play struggles to put game away: While the Bruins' power play hadn't been producing as much as they would like, the unit was at least getting on the scoreboard occasionally as well as generating momentum that led to several goals in the ensuing minutes after the power play ended. But in Game 6, the Bruins' power play not only failed to score (0-for-4), but also lacked energy. The Blackhawks actually scored their first goal right after a fruitless Bruins power play, showing just how much the Boston man advantage lacked in Game 6.

Players deal with melting quagmire: Give the NHL and the TD Garden ice crew credit for doing everything they could to battle the hot and muggy summer weather in Boston on Monday, including bringing in a giant dehumidifier. But as the game went on, the inevitable quagmire of melting ice occurred, and the players were forced to adjust by simplifying their game. The pace slowed down as the puck bounced around, but somehow both teams still put on one heck of an exciting show.

Bergeron returns and Soderberg plays: With Bergeron back in, the lineup was the same as it was to begin Game 5. Bergeron was back between normal linemates Brad Marchand and Jaromir Jagr to start the game. When Jagr was missing in action, Tyler Seguin appeared to get the majority of the time back with his normal linemates of the past two seasons. Carl Soderberg played his second Stanley Cup playoff game with Shawn Thornton and Rich Peverley once again.

Forwards
Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Jaromir Jagr
Daniel Paille-Chris Kelly-Tyler Seguin
Carl Soderberg-Rich Peverley-Shawn Thornton
Defense
Zdeno Chara-Dennis Seidenberg
Andrew Ference-Johnny Boychuk
Torey Krug-Adam McQuaid
Goalies
Tuukka Rask
Anton Khudobin

BOSTON -- Boston Bruins second-line center Patrice Bergeron was in the lineup for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals Monday night despite missing the morning skate.

Coach Claude Julien said Monday morning he was "confident" Bergeron would play.

"Patrice will dress for warm-ups tonight, and I'm feeling confident that he'll play," said Julien, whose Bruins trail the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 in the best-of-seven finals. On Sunday, Julien described the Bergeron injury as a "body" injury.

Steve Levy and Barry Melrose preview tonight's Game 6 (video above) at TD Garden, where it is expected that both Patrice Bergeron and Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews will play.

And check out Mac's Minute as well for more heading into tonight's game.

BOSTON -- Under coach Claude Julien, the Boston Bruins have not lost a playoff series in fewer than seven games.

The Bruins have reached the postseason in all six seasons of Julien’s tenure in Boston, including two Stanley Cup finals appearances. Four of those seasons ended short of the Cup finals, but all were Game 7 losses. Under Julien, the Bruins are 9-4 in games in which they could be eliminated.

What can you glean from that? Claude’s Bruins don’t go down without a fight.

“That’s a good stat to have as a coach,” said Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg. “That means your team is responding to whatever he says in the room, and he does say the right things at the right time and gets us going. We don’t expect anything else tonight.”

They face potential elimination in Game 6 against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday at TD Garden. A loss would mean watching the Blackhawks celebrate on Garden ice, while a win would send the series to a winner-take-all Game 7 in Chicago.

The last time the Bruins were in this position (2011), they won Game 6 at home and won Game 7 in Vancouver to win the Stanley Cup.

“[Julien] never throws stuff around, but he gets loud when he needs to and he knows how to handle a team very well,” Seidenberg said. “He’ll do the right thing.”

Julien’s message for Game 6 is simple: Have fun.

“You’ve got to go out there and play, and what you’ve got to do is be excited about this opportunity,” Julien said. “I don’t want to get into all of this, but I always say the same thing: There are 28 teams right now that wish they were in our position. Always take the positives out of everything. Just because we’re down 3-2, we haven’t lost the Cup yet. We still have a chance to win it. It’s about focusing on going out there and doing it and having fun doing it.”

After the Bruins' morning skate, the players seemed relaxed, comfortable and jovial in the locker room. Having experience in this situation helps.

“It’s either a win tonight or we go home,” Seidenberg said. “We’re real excited to play tonight, and it’s our last chance and everybody wants to get to a Game 7.”

BOSTON -- The last time the Stanley Cup finals were played on June 24 or later was in 1995, when the New Jersey Devils played the Detroit Red Wings.

Playing hockey in the early summer means the ice conditions will not be ideal for either team. The NHL ice crew has done a terrific job given the situation in both the TD Garden and the United Center in Chicago.

With Game 6 of the SCF between the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks set for Monday night at the Garden, and temperatures expected to reach the mid-90s in Boston, the teams understand it could be a little sloppy out there.

“Obviously with some fans in the building tonight, it’ll get obviously warmer,” said Bruins coach Claude Julien. “I thought the ice this morning was in pretty good shape, and they’ve done a good job. Walking in here yesterday with 90-plus degrees it was nice and cool in the arena."

Ever since the start of the Eastern Conference finals, the Garden has been equipped with a commercial cooling system to keep the arena cold.

“But those doors are going to open; I would imagine some heat will come in,” Julien said. “But those are conditions that you have to play with at this time of year. Everybody has been through it, and two teams are going through the same conditions. Both teams are going to tell you the same truth: Keep the game simple and try to avoid those mistakes from overhandling pucks in those kinds of ice conditions.”

Players on both teams complained about the ice after Game 3 in Boston.

The players had mixed feelings about the ice during Monday’s morning skate.

“It’s tough to say,” said Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg. “It is pretty humid. This morning [the ice] was kind of rough but it could be great tonight, so it’s tough to say.”

“If there’s bad ice, you have to keep your game simple, which you want to do anyway,” added Seidenberg. “You want to play a straight-line game, especially when the ice is bad.”

The soft ice conditions before Game 3 of this series caused Bruins captain Zdeno Chara to catch a rut and collide with teammate Milan Lucic during warm-ups. Chara had to leave the ice and receive stitches above his left eye.

“It’s June -- late June,” said Bruins forward Chris Kelly with a smile. “You expect it. Even up in Canada it’ll still be warm. The ice is going to be bad. It’s going to be bad for both sides and you expect that. The pretty plays may not always be there tonight because of the ice conditions.”

BOSTON -- Bruins coach Claude Julien said Monday morning he is “confident” second-line center Patrice Bergeron will play in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals. Bergeron was not on the ice for the morning skate.

“Patrice will dress for warm-up tonight, and I'm feeling confident that he'll play,” Julien said. On Sunday, Julien described the Bergeron injury as a “body” injury.

The 27-year-old Bergeron was taken to the hospital on Saturday night after injuring himself in the second period of the Bruins’ Game 5 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. He flew home with the team Sunday.

If Bergeron is unable to play, expect either Jay Pandolfo or Jordan Caron on the ice in his place.

“Well, I know Pandolfo is going to be in the warm-up tonight for sure, so is Caron, so we're going to have a few guys out there,” Julien said. “And Bergeron is going to be out there, as well. If Bergeron can't go, then I have got some decisions to make. Again, there's a little bit more in the thought process than just picking a guy. I need to make decisions based on what the needs will be for tonight's game."

After Bergeron’s injury Saturday night, Carl Soderberg centered the Bruins’ second line.

Here's what the lineup could look like if Bergeron returns:

Forwards
Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Jaromir Jagr
Daniel Paille-Chris Kelly-Tyler Seguin
Carl Soderberg-Rich Peverley-Shawn Thornton

Defense
Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Andrew Ference-Dennis Seidenberg
Torey Krug-Adam McQuaid

Goalies
Tuukka Rask
Anton Khudobin

BOSTON -- The Boston Bruins have been here before. In the 2011 Stanley Cup finals, they returned from Vancouver for Game 6 down 3-2 in the series. Facing elimination, they dominated the Canucks with a 5-2 win in Game 6, then did it again in Game 7 at Vancouver for a 4-0 win that gave the organization its first Stanley Cup in 39 seasons.

Here they are again, down 3-2 to the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2013 Stanley Cup finals. Can they recapture the magic?

“It’s a different team, different situation but we’ve been here before,” winger Brad Marchand said Sunday at TD Garden. “I think we have a bit of confidence but, at the same time, they’re a very resilient team. They’ve played great so far. They played good last time they were in our building so we’ve got to make sure we realize that and we don’t take it for granted.”

Marchand is correct. The Blackhawks are a very different team than the Canucks squad that lost Games 3 and 4 at Boston in 2011 by a combined score of 12-1. The Blackhawks definitely had an off night in their 2-0 loss at TD Garden in Game 3, but they bounced back in a big way in Game 4, exploding for six goals in a 6-5 overtime win to tie the series at two games apiece.

Chicago then took the 3-2 series lead with a 3-1 win over the Bruins in Game 5 and is on the verge of clinching its second Stanley Cup in four seasons. To prevent that, the Bruins will need to channel their nerves better than they did in Game 5.

“I thought right off the bat we looked a little nervous,” Rask said. “We didn’t make plays. We didn’t make passes. It didn’t cost us right away, but after the first minute or two we kind of settled in. Both teams had chances. It wasn’t as bad as it has been in previous games.”

Rask was critical of the Bruins immediately following Game 5, questioning why they need to see their best all-around player and leader -- Patrice Bergeron -- exit the game with an injury to finally find their game in the third period?

"It's kind of sad that we've got to lose a guy like that to wake the team up and start battling out there," Rask said. "When you're in the finals and only play 20 minutes, it's not going to be good enough to get you a hockey game, so we have to realize that, and now we know we're going to have some new bodies and new lines on Monday. Everybody needs to play 110 percent."

But if there’s one thing the current core of the Bruins knows how to do, it is to go all in and leave it all on the ice in a do-or-die situation. The past few seasons, the Bruins rarely have made things easy on themselves. But when their backs are against the wall, they tend to answer the bell as witnessed with their miraculous 5-4 comeback win from a three-goal, third-period deficit in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against Toronto.

“It just kind of happens that way. Obviously, we would have wanted to win last night,” Bruins winger Nathan Horton said. “But that’s the kind of character we have in our room. When our backs are against the wall, we show up. Like I said, we play for the guy next to you and we all know what we have to do now. We can’t lose and we’ve got to come to play.”

Marchand agreed that his team has a habit of making things more difficult than they need to be, but also has the character to pull it out in the end. He believes the Bruins won’t waste an opportunity to do something special.

“I just think we’ve got a group of guys who have a lot of character and we want to win the Cup and to do that you’ve got to push to the last second of the last game,” Marchand said. “We’ve learned that the hard way, so we just want to try to use that tomorrow. I mean, we are very desperate right now. We’ve got to make sure we realize what’s on the line. We don’t want to lose this opportunity. It could never come again, so we are going to come out very hard tomorrow.”

This never-say-die attitude is why Bruins coach Claude Julien won’t be giving any Knute Rockne speeches prior to Game 6 or Game 7 if the Bruins get that far. As Julien pointed out Sunday, he thinks his team will be ready to seize the opportunity.

“You don't have to say much to this group,” Julien said. “We're an experienced group that's been through a lot. Not just that, but we have a good group of guys that understand what's at stake. They understand what's happening, and they know what they need to do.

“I don't need to go in there and give this big speech and get these guys riled up because they know what's at stake, and we've proven it in the past. Now we have an opportunity to prove it again tomorrow, and that's up to us to show it on the ice versus talking a great game in the dressing room and not showing up on the ice. I'd rather see our guys be focused, ready and excited about playing tomorrow, and the word 'excited' should be a key word to tomorrow's game.”

BOSTON -- After reviewing Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk's second-period hit on Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews in the second period of Saturday night's Game 5, the NHL department of player safety decided that the hit didn't warrant any supplemental discipline on Sunday.

Bruins coach Claude Julien agreed with the league's decision.

"I think they said it was clean, wasn't it? Then I agree with them," Julien said Sunday afternoon. "I'm not going to hide from that. If it wasn't a clean hit, I'd have been a guy that supported those kind of things that we need to get out of the game. But it was a clean hit."

There were questions as to whether Boychuk targeted Toews' head on the play, but Boychuk defended his actions.

“I’m pretty sure it was clean,” Boychuk said. “He was cutting to the net, and I came across and read it and hit him. Tried to hit him clean. I’m going to try and play physical. If he’s going to drive the net, like he’s supposed to, I’m going to try and hit.”

Toews ended up missing the third period and is questionable for Game 6 with an upper body injury.

BOSTON -- Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien did not rule out Patrice Bergeron for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals, telling French-speaking media on Sunday that he was "encouraged" by the news he received on the injured forward.

A source close to Bergeron told ESPNBoston.com he was optimistic that the 27-year-old would be able to play Monday against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Earlier Sunday, Julien told English-speaking media that Bergeron is "day to day" with a "body" injury after exiting Game 5 in the second period with an undisclosed injury. After being taken to a Chicago hospital for observation. Bergeron flew back with the team to Boston on Sunday.

"Well, again, what does day to day mean?" Julien asked rhetorically when a reporter tried to pry details on Bergeron's status. "I don't know if he'll skate tomorrow -- he may. And that's what day to day is. Again, I'm trying to be as clear as I can here."

Julien was then asked how Bergeron's spirits were.

"Was that the question you asked [Brad Marchand] because he said he looks dashing today in his suit," Julien joked "He's a guy that's day to day, and day to day is really good news to me anyway."

All kidding aside, the Bruins realize what they will be missing if Bergeron can't play in a do-or-die Game 6 at TD Garden. Bergeron has been outstanding for the Bruins in the playoffs with nine goals and 15 points, including two game-winning goals.

"He does everything right, basically," linemate Marchand said prior to Julien's press briefing. "He's such a great face-off guy and it really gives us the opportunity to start with the puck a lot. He's very tough to play against defensively, and he's been doing a very good job at playing against their top guys."

As goalie Tuukka Rask pointed out, there will be no replacing Bergeron, but the Bruins must collectively move on and rally together should the star center not play in Game 6.

"You don't replace him," Rask said Sunday. "You adapt and play a different game out there. We can't feel sorry for ourselves if he's missing. We just have to play with the guys that we have."

The Blackhawks may be missing their best two-way player and captain, Jonathan Toews, who left Game 5 with an upper-body injury. Chicago realizes how critical Bergeron and Toews are to their respective teams and the effect either or both of their absences could have.

"Both great players. I think any coach in the league, any player in the league would like to have those guys on their team," Blackhawks left wing Patrick Sharp said. "I can't speak for what Boston is dealing with, with Bergeron. I know I don't need to say much about Jonathan. I think everyone knows what we think of him in our locker room."

With a 3-1 loss in Game 5 on Saturday night, the Bruins fell behind 3-2 in the Stanley Cup finals and now will have to stave off elimination in Game 6 on Monday at TD Garden. Here are five takeaways from Game 5:

Can the Bruins win the Stanley Cup without Patrice Bergeron? Give the Bruins plenty of credit; they did not fold after falling behind 2-0 and losing arguably their MVP as well as a leader in Bergeron. Bergeron suffered an undisclosed injury prior to Patrick Kane's scoring his second goal to make it 2-0 5:13 into the second period. The Bruins regrouped and held the fort strong for the remainder of the middle frame, and then cut the lead to 2-1 on captain Zdeno Chara's third goal of the playoffs 3:40 into the third. But that lead, and the absence of the player who is arguably a co-captain (not just alternate) with Chara and their best all-around player, plus a revitalized Blackhawks team seemed to be just too much for the resilient Bruins. With the news that Bergeron was taken to a local hospital for observation, I tweeted during the third period, "No Bergeron = No Cup" for the Bruins, and I believe that to be the case. Yes, the Blackhawks lost Jonathan Toews in the third period, but he remained on the bench and wasn't taken by ambulance to a hospital. And yes, Bruins coach Claude Julien said there was no update on Bergeron and he might play in Game 6, but if that's not the case and even if Toews doesn't play, this scribe believes the Bruins cannot win two straight elimination games without Bergeron. If not for Tuukka Rask, Bergeron very well could be the Conn Smythe winner if the Bruins were to win the Cup. He is the heartbeat of the Bruins and the player who can provide anything in any situation in which Julien needs him. The Bruins might force a Game 7 because they're that resilient, but without Bergeron, they will not win the 2013 Stanley Cup.

CLICK HERE to read colleague Joe McDonald's column on Bergeron.


Just a reminder that Chara is still Chara: Heading into Game 5, the Blackhawks openly bragged that they were not intimidated by Chara and knew how to beat him. After showing that in Game 4, with Chara finishing at minus-3, they did so to an extent in Game 5, as the captain was minus-2 and struggled for much of the first two periods. But Chara wasn't about to roll over, and in the third period, he came out flying, hitting anything in sight and scoring the Bruins' lone goal. While his defensive game might not have been up to his usual standards in the past two games, he still has a goal and two assists in those two games. Let's be realists here: Chara is human, and like anyone else, he can wear down when playing the minutes he has been playing. But he is still one of the hardest workers in the NHL, and he showed that again in Game 5.

Rask and Crawford bounce back: Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask and Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford were the subject of scrutiny by media and fans alike heading into Game 5 after questionable performances in the Blackhawks' 6-5 Game 4 win. But as they have on so many occasions during the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs, the two netminders and Conn Smythe candidates bounced back in Game 5. Rask finished with 29 saves and really couldn't be blamed for either of the two goals he allowed to Kane. As Rask did in Game 4 -- even when allowing six goals -- he kept his team in the game and gave it a chance to win Game 5. He stopped all 12 shots he faced in the third period as the Bruins tried to come back and potentially tie the game. Rask was the least of the Bruins' problems, and the Bruins had some costly defensive lapses in front in Game 5. Meanwhile, Crawford once again silenced the doubters, with a 24-save performance and the win. He was especially big in the opening period as the Bruins outshot the Blackhawks 11-8 but still trailed 1-0 after the first. He is now 15-7 with a 1.83 goals-against average and .932 save percentage as well as being one win from the Stanley Cup.

Faceoffs a difference again: As they have been throughout this series, faceoffs were a crucial factor in Game 5. Even though the Blackhawks were beat on the faceoff dot 39-38 in Game 4, they were a much different team after being dominated in faceoffs in the previous two games. In Game 5, the Hawks actually won the faceoff battle 33-24, and it helped them take a 3-2 series lead. When their skilled players have the puck more, chances are they will score or at least create scoring opportunities more often, and that was the case in Game 5. The Bruins clearly missed their faceoff master after Bergeron left the game injured. They will need to step up as a team at the dot to prevent the Blackhawks from utilizing their offensive skill.

Soderberg not a bad choice: Julien did some line shuffling for Game 5, replacing Kaspars Daugavins with Carl Soderberg on the fourth line with Shawn Thornton and Rich Peverley. The Swedish forward made his coach look pretty smart. Soderberg had some solid chances early on thanks to some strong skating and forechecking. And thanks to his efforts, he found himself taking Bergeron's spot between Jaromir Jagr and Brad Marchand on the second line. Soderberg couldn't seize a regular spot in his six regular-season games, but after a solid 14:16 of ice time in Game 5, he definitely will have Julien thinking about playing him again in Game 6, especially if Bergeron doesn't play.

CHICAGO -- Not only did the Boston Bruins drop Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals to the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 on Saturday night at the United Center, but the Bruins were without the services of arguably their best player.

Patrice Bergeron missed most of the second period and all of the third with an undisclosed injury. He needed to be hospitalized "for observation," the Bruins announced.

The Blackhawks lead the best-of-seven series 3-2. The last time the Bruins trailed 3-2 in the finals, they won the Stanley Cup, rallying to win Games 6 and 7 in 2011 over the Vancouver Canucks.

Bergeron played his regular shifts throughout the first period but was limited to only two shifts in the second period for a total of 49 seconds. He remained on the bench for the second period but did not return for the third. Midway through the final period, the Bruins announced he had been taken to a local hospital by ambulance.

Bruins forward Carl Soderberg, who was inserted into the lineup and made his NHL playoff debut, replaced Bergeron and centered Brad Marchand and Jaromir Jagr. It was Soderberg's first game since April 28.

The Blackhawks were without Jonathan Toews for the third period, but he remained on the bench. During the second period, he was on the receiving end of a big hit by Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk.

The Blackhawks' Patrick Kane scored a pair of goals to give the victory to Chicago, which also got an empty-netter from Dave Bolland with just 13.6 seconds remaining.

Prior to Game 4 in Boston, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville decided to reunite Chicago's top line of Kane, Toews and Bryan Bickell, and it worked then as the Blackhawks won 6-5 in overtime.

That line continued its surge in Game 5.

The Blackhawks opened the scoring at 17:27 of the first period with a little help from a broken stick. Chicago had sustained pressure in the offensive zone when Blackhawks defenseman Johnny Oduya's slap shot from the left point broke the stick of Bruins blueliner Dennis Seidenberg. The puck was pinballing toward Tuukka Rask when Kane stuffed it home on the short side to give Chicago a 1-0 lead.

The Blackhawks gained a 2-0 lead at 5:14 of the second period when Kane scored his second goal of the game. The Bruins were late getting back on the forecheck, and Kane buried a rebound with ease.

With the Bruins trailing by two goals, they started hitting everything in sight, but they couldn't capitalize on the scoring chances they were able to create.

The Bruins came out hard and heavy to start the third period, and it resulted in Boston's first goal of the game. The Bruins sustained pressure and were rewarded for their efforts when Zdeno Chara's slap shot beat Corey Crawford to the high glove side to cut Boston's deficit to 2-1.

The Bruins kept the pressure on in the final period and Rask made timely saves, but Boston couldn't respond. Chicago added an empty-net goal with 13.6 seconds remaining in regulation as Bolland scored.

The series shifts back to Boston for Game 6 on Monday, when the Bruins will attempt to stave off elimination and prevent the Blackhawks from celebrating a Cup-clinching victory on Garden ice.

Bruins center Patrice Bergeron played only 49 seconds in the second period and did not return to the game.

"Let's say right now we're going to give him a little time," Bruins coach Claude Julien told NBC's Pierre McGuire.

Bergeron appeared to be skating gingerly during a brief final shift before returning to the Bruins' bench.

He was on the ice for 6 minutes, 6 seconds total, including nine shifts in the first period and just two more in the second.

The Bruins announced via Twitter that Bergeron left the building and was hospitalized:

Update: Patrice Bergeron has been taken to a local hospital in Chicago for observation. There is no further update at this time. ^BB

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) June 23, 2013

After skating with the Bruins' fourth line at practice Friday, Carl Soderberg is in the lineup for Saturday's Game 5.

Soderberg replaces Kaspars Daugavins for the Bruins.

Game 5 will be Soderberg's first playoff appearance for the Bruins. He hasn't seen game action since April 28, and played just six regular-season games.

CHICAGO -- The Stanley Cup finals between the Boston Bruins and the Chicago Blackhawks has already been compelling, and it's only going to get better.

The series is tied at two games apiece entering Game 5 Saturday night at United Center.

With the help of ESPN Stats & Information, this is the 23rd time the Stanley Cup finals have been tied at two games apiece since the best-of-seven format was introduced in 1939. The team that won Game 5 has captured the Cup 15 times (68.2 percent). However, the team losing Game 5 has rebounded to win the series four of the past six times since 2001. The Bruins (2011), Pittsburgh Penguins (2009), Tampa Bay Lightning (2004) and Colorado Avalanche (2001) all lost Game 5 before eventually winning the Cup.

In this series, three of the four games have gone into overtime, including Game 1's epic triple OT contest that ended with a 4-3 win by the Blackhawks. The Bruins won Game 2 in overtime 2-1. After Boston won 2-0 in Game 3, Chicago responded with a 6-5 win in OT in what turned into a classic run-and-gun game on both ends.

So, if Game 5 needs an extra period or two, it wouldn't be surprising.

"We realize games are going to be tight and they'll go to overtime, so I don't think we get too carried away about it," said Bruins forward Daniel Paille, who scored the game winner in Game 2.

If the overtime trend continues in Game 5, no matter how well or poorly a team has played during regulation, OT offers a chance for redemption.

"Anything can happen in overtime," said Bruins forward Tyler Seguin. "It's a brand-new game when you step into those type of periods and you just try to be ready as best as you can.

"It could happen every game. Every game is tight. It's two great teams with not too many holes. It comes down to the battles, the determination and who wants it more that night. We need to respond correctly here tonight."

Each team has won a game on the road, so the Bruins are confident they can win here tonight for an opportunity to close out the series on home ice in Game 6 on Monday.

"I think it helps a little bit," Seguin said about having confidence in knowing the Bruins have won on the road in this series. "It's a brand-new series here, the best two out of three for the Cup and who's going to want it more."

Besides Boston's 2-0 win in Game 3, each game has been decided by one goal in overtime. For the most part, it's also been a low-scoring affair, so Game 4's offensive onslaught surprised both teams. So, it's anyone's guess what happens in Game 5.

"I expect a really good game," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "Obviously it's 2-2. Do we know how it's going to go? I don't think either coach could have told you before last game it was going to be a high-scoring game. I think we were surprised. Will that continue? I don't know, I really don't know. Again, it's how well the teams play, how good the goaltenders are and everything else. It depends on a lot of things.

"Is it going to be penalty-filled, is it going to be five-on-five? I think it's really hard to predict this time of year. The only thing I'm capable of saying here, based on the first four games, they're all tight and they're all close and they're all exciting."

Buckle up, because it's going to be another thrilling game.

CHICAGO -- Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien was noncommittal as to whether he would make a lineup change for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday at United Center.

Based on the Bruins' morning skate, it appears forward Kaspars Daugavins will remain in the lineup on the fourth line, which means Carl Soderberg would remain a healthy scratch. Julien raised some suspicion during Friday's practice when he had Soderberg playing on that line with Shawn Thornton and Rich Peverley.

The coach was asked after Saturday's morning skate why he's been tinkering with that line since the team lost Gregory Campbell due to a broken right fibula.

"Why? Because I'm the coach and because I can," Julien said with a smile. "You guys ask me why I make those changes. I didn't spend three days thinking about that. It's a situation that I can do. If I do that tonight, we'll see where it goes. I may just go back to Daugavins, because again I'm tinkering between those two like I have from the beginning of the series."

If Julien does decide to go with Soderberg, who played only six games for the Bruins during the regular season after he arrived in Boston at the conclusion of his season in Sweden, Julien hasn't seen enough of the forward to make an assessment on his play.

"I haven't seen him that much," Julien said. "He's only played a few games and that's probably the main reason he's hasn't played in the playoffs is we went with some experienced players. Injuries have forced us to kind of look elsewhere, and that's the injury to Gregory Campbell. So Daugavins, we've looked at Carl Soderberg, Jordan Caron and there's Jay Pandolfo. So there's situations there that we can look at. We're trying to find the best fit possible.

"I have to look at whether I feel comfortable staying with Daugavins, or it's been between Soderberg and Daugavins. But they're two different players. Size-wise they're different. One is obviously real gritty along the walls, and the other one is probably more of a playmaker. So, there's a difference there and that's where I have to make my decision what I feel I may need tonight."

That line played less than six minutes in Game 4. With the little amount he's played this series, Daugavins is happy with his game.

"I've played fine," he said. "I did the little things right, but maybe didn't create enough offense as I wanted to. Defensively, our game was pretty solid on our line. I was finishing my checks and shooting the puck on net. I was keeping it simple."

Being on the bench for the majority of the game also has its challenges.

"It's more nerve-racking sitting on the bench than being on the ice," Daugavins said. "When you go out there you go into game mode; you don't even think about it, you just do it. Your instincts come in and you play. When you sit on the bench and watch, you're a super fan. You cheer for the guys and you get nervous when the puck is close to your net and you pull your hair when there's a good scoring chance. It's definitely more nerve-racking sitting on the bench than playing."