Bruins attempt to even Cup Final with Blackhawks

BRUINS at BLACKHAWKS

(Chicago leads best-of-7 series, 1-0)

TV: NBCSN, CBC, RDS

Big story: The series opener on Wednesday was the kind of game hockey fans dream about in Game 7 scenarios. Lasting 12:08 into the third overtime, Chicago Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw finally ended it with a double-deflection goal that hit his right leg and snuck past Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask.

They might not be able to top that in the games that are left, at least from a fan's perspective, but there is a series still to finish -- starting with Game 2 on Saturday night at United Center (8 p.m. ET). If it's even physically possible to give more than they did in Game 1, the Bruins will try to up their level of desperation to avoid falling into a 2-0 hole before things shift to TD Garden for the following two games.

The Minnesota Wild and Los Angeles Kings both lost their first two games to Chicago in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and both were eliminated in five games. Chicago also has extra motivation to take the second game. The lone time the Blackhawks have lost on home ice in this postseason, in Game 2 of a Western Conference Semifinal series against the Detroit Red Wings, they lost the next two games at Joe Louis Arena and had to fight out of a 3-1 series deficit.

Home teams have also won 57 of the 81 games played in this postseason (.704). which ties the NHL record for most wins by home teams in one playoff year -- a mark that was set in 92 games of the 1991 playoffs, a .620 winning percentage.

Team Scope:

Bruins: Boston's top line produced the Bruins' first two goals in Game 1 and second-line center Patrice Bergeron potted the third to cap a power play in the third period. Milan Lucic was the goal-scorer for those first two and David Krecji, the postseason's scoring leader, picked up assists on both. The only player outside the top-six forwards group to record a point was Tyler Seguin, who assisted on Bergeron's goal. Meanwhile, three of Chicago's goals came from third-line forwards and a defenseman.

Boston's depth will again be tested in Game 2, but it will have Nathan Horton back after he left Game 1 in overtime with an upper-body injury. The Bruins will be tested mentally, as well, after dropping such a dramatic, draining game to open the series.

"I mean, it's a loss … it's an overtime loss," said Boston defenseman Andrew Ference, who had the game-tying goal by Chicago defenseman Johnny Oduya deflect off his skate into the net. "A lot of hockey was played, obviously, to get to that point. It was a good hockey game. I think you look back at the game as a whole, you say this is going to be a tight series … you just move on."

Blackhawks: Chicago won the first game much like the Blackhawks won games for much of the regular season. They didn't panic after falling behind, first by a 2-0 score and then 3-1 in the second half of the third period. They also got goals in the third from third-line center Dave Bolland and Oduya to tie, before outlasting the Bruins and grinding through 52:08 of extra time.

It was the second straight playoff game Chicago played in that lasted more than one overtime, after needing double overtime in Game 5 to clinch the Western Conference Final against the Los Angeles Kings. The Blackhawks are definitely feeling the effects of it heading into Game 2, but they have also won eight of their last nine playoff games, including six straight at home.

"I think the extra day was probably good for everybody because it was such a taxing game," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "I think everybody could use what went on [Thursday], resting. You can see [Friday] in practice, we got better as we got out there. I think everybody will be fresh and excited to go."

Who's hot: Chicago's Dave Bolland scored his first goal of the postseason and picked up the primary assist on Shaw's winner in Game 1, while Corey Crawford stopped 51 of 54 shots, including all 29 he faced through the overtime periods. … Krejci upped his playoffs-leading scoring total to 23 points with his pair of assists, while Lucic recorded his first multi-goal game of the postseason for the Bruins and Rask stopped 59 of 63 shots.

Injury report: Boston center Gregory Campbell (leg fracture) is out for the rest of the postseason.