CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews did not play in the third period of Saturday's Game 5 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final because of an upper-body injury.

Toews, the Blackhawks captain, was on the receiving end of a huge hit from Boston Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk midway through the second period, but he continued to play until the end of the period. He sat on the bench for the third period, but did not take a shift while the Blackhawks were able to protect the lead and claim a 3-1 win at United Center to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-7 series.

"We're hopeful he'll be ready next game, upper-body," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "We'll see how he is tomorrow. I checked on him a couple times there. I think he wanted to play, but we'll see."

CHICAGO -- Boston Bruins forward Carl Soderberg knew he was up against it Saturday night in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Told earlier Saturday that he would be making his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut in the pivotal game of a best-of-7 series that has been played at a furious and physical pace, Soderberg knew he would have to overcome the handicaps associated with not playing since April 28.

Bruins center Patrice Bergeron left Saturday’s Game 5 at United Center in an ambulance and was taken to a hospital after playing 49 seconds in the second period. He did not finish the period on the bench and did not come out for the third period.

Boston went on to lose the game, 3-1, and trails 3-2 in this best-of-7 series that shifts back to TD Garden on Monday for Game 6 (8 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, RDS).

"No update; I think there's no concern until you get an update," Bruins coach Claude Julien said during his postgame remarks. "As far as we're concerned he's just getting evaluated right now, so not much I can say on his situation."

CHICAGO -- Marian Hossa was in the Chicago Blackhawks lineup Saturday against the Boston Bruins in Game 5 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final at United Center (NBC, CBC, RDS).

Hossa missed Game 3 because of an upper-body injury but played in Game 4 after not skating that morning. The Blackhawks did not practice Thursday, and Hossa stayed off the ice during the team’s Friday workout.

"He's fine. He'll play," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said after the morning skate Saturday. "We'll say he should be better."

CHICAGO -- Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien picked a heck of a time to introduce Carl Soderberg to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Soderberg, 27, is making his postseason debut Saturday in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center (NBC, CBC, RDS). The best-of-7 series is tied 2-2.

CHICAGO -- There's no doubt players on both sides in the Stanley Cup Final expected a grueling series.

The best-of-7 Final is tied 2-2, and Game 5 between the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks looms Saturday at United Center (8 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, RDS).

Perhaps a more intriguing question for those involved is whether there have been any surprises.

"I don't think so," Bruins rookie defenseman Torey Krug told NHL.com. "They are a team that basically is what you see is what you get. They play north/south hockey and it's pretty fast and they like to play with the puck. Obviously, we're a team that has no secrets … we go out and we want to do our job.

"It's been a series of what we expected, and we're ready for it to go a long way."

CHICAGO -- Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien essentially dared the Chicago Blackhawks to try to expose Zdeno Chara in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday at United Center (8 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, RDS).

"If that's what they think, then they should try it again," Julien said.

Julien was responding to a question about comments Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews made Thursday. Chara was on the ice for five goals against in Chicago's 6-5 overtime win in Game 4, and it prompted Toews to say the Blackhawks found a way to "expose" the towering Bruins captain.

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks have allowed more power-play goals to the Boston Bruins through the four games of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final than they did against the three other teams they eliminated coming into this series.

Chicago's success rate prior to facing the Bruins was 94.8 percent (55 of 58), tops in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but it is 71.4 percent (10 of 14) in the Cup Final heading into Game 5 Saturday at United Center (8 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, RDS).

Is there something to it, or is that 23 percent drop more of an aberration than it might seem?

The Blackhawks said they feel it's more of the latter than the former.

"I think our penalty kill's been pretty good," Chicago center Dave Bolland said Saturday after the morning skate. "They've had four goals, but you're going to have breakdowns. It's going to happen. I think we've still stayed strong. We've still stuck to our game plan. We haven't gotten away [from] it. We've had some goals against, but I think those are going to come. You have to go over those and see what happened, but I think overall our PK has been pretty good."

CHICAGO -- Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien would not reveal who will play fourth-line left wing for the Bruins in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday at United Center (8 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, RDS).

Julien did admit what already was obvious, that the decision is between Kaspars Daugavins and Carl Soderberg.

Daugavins has played in all four games of the Cup Final; Soderberg, who signed with the Bruins late in the regular season, has not played in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They rotated with Shawn Thornton and Rich Peverley during line rushes in the morning skate Saturday, with Daugavins going first.

"We're trying to find the best fit possible so I have to look at whether I feel comfortable staying with Daugavins or, as you know right now it's been between Soderberg and Daugavins," Julien said. "They're two different players. Size-wise they're different. One is obviously real gritty along the walls [Daugavins], and the other one is probably more of a playmaker [Soderberg]. There is a difference there, and that's where I have to make my decision, what I feel I may need for [Game 5]."

CHICAGO -- Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic revealed a sheepish smile when asked if he felt players on the Chicago Blackhawks were beginning to get the best of captain Zdeno Chara.

It was two days ago that Blackhawks forward Bryan Bickell sprinkled a little fuel onto the fire when he declared Chara "doesn't like getting hit."

"Not a lot of guys attempt it, but to get a hit on him and to see him fall down, it's rare," Bickell said.

There isn't a player in the NHL who relishes being on the receiving end of a thunderous body check. Bickell, who was in Chara's face for much of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, had a first-period hit on the 6-foot-9 defenseman that sent him to the ice and, in effect, may have set the physical tone for the entire game.