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."
This year's Final marks the first time in 20 years three of the games have required overtime. It is the sixth Final series since 1927 to require at least three.
"I guess the number of OT games has surprised me," Blackhawks forward Bryan Bickell said. "There have been three in four games already and that's surprising. I wouldn't have thought that, but this is a tight series. Both teams are moving toward the same goal and doing whatever it takes to win."
Blackhawks center Andrew Shaw was asked if fatigue has started to set in after 21 playoff games.
"The fatigue is there, but that adrenaline pushes you when you're tired," he said. "That drive to win the Cup helps you on the ice.
"We knew they were a great team coming into it, defensively and offensively. We knew their power play was very dangerous, so we just need to stay out of the box."
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