Canes ready for anything in Game 5

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The Canes came into their series with the Bruins tagged as the underdogs against the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

What about now, with a 3-1 series lead?

"We came in as underdogs because we are," Canes coach Paul Maurice said today. "Points-wise, the best team is left in the playoffs, and we're in a stronger position that I guess we may have even thought coming into Game 4.

"But everybody's got a challenge in every game. The Bruins have one tonight. So do the Hurricanes. We have to come in and not only prepare ourselves for a team that's going to come out and not leave anything, they're going to give it all tonight, not that they didn't try last game.

"We all have given it all every night."

For the Canes, the Bruins' "all" could mean a little of anything. And they're steeling themselves for anything.

"I thought last game got a little physical, but I think for us we've got to play from whistle to whistle and not worry about anything else," center Eric Staal said. "We're a team that needs to initiate and get on the attack and get on their defense and use our speed.

"If they want to start those scrums or throw punches after the whistle, we've just got to skate away and worry about the next shift and hopefully get our chance on the power play."

The Canes know the crowd will be loud, that the Bruins must win, that they will hold nothing back. But Sergei Samsonov, who has scored goals the last two games, said the Canes can't change their approach, the one that has been so successful for them, and focus only on finishing off the series now.

"We can't look at it as we need to win one of the next three," the forward said. "We need to win the next game. I'm not going to say it's a must-win tonight, but the longer you drag it out the more even the chances are going to be.

"We have to realize that. I've been on the other side when we were up 3-1 and ended up losing. But I think we have a lot of experience in this room and everyone realizes that."

 

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Effort is there, execution isn't

Tim Thomas continued to fiddle with his gear as he eyed the group of reporters heading his way after practice yesterday. Before any questions could be asked, he warned he didn't have anything unique to add to his teammates' comments.There isn't much to say for a team that had the second-best record in the NHL during the regular season but is facing elimination tonight against the sixth-seeded Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Three consecutive losses, and play that at times has been described as their worst of the season, have the Bruins in a 3-1 deficit in the best-of-seven series.

"I sense a little frustration that we haven't played up to our abilities yet," said Thomas. "Some of that has to do with Carolina because of the way they've been playing us."

But Thomas added that if the Bruins can manage to play the way they have "98 percent of the season," they could be in position to produce a positive result. The dismal play of late has left them with no other choice.

"We know it's do or die for us," Milan Lucic said. "We know what it's going to come down to, and that's our will to win."

The Bruins practiced for a little more than an hour at Ristuccia Arena, but Andrew Ference and Mark Recchi did not participate. Ference continues to deal with a lower-body injury, and coach Claude Julien said Recchi is "banged up," but was optimistic he would be available tonight for Game 5.

Julien said his team's play may not have been the best, but it was not due to a lack of effort.

"It's not the will and the desire of the players, that's never going to be in question with us, the coaching staff," Julien said. "No matter how it looks to the outside, our guys care and they want to win. That's not an issue."

The Bruins lost Game 2, 3-0, suffered a 3-2 overtime loss in Game 3, and gave up three goals in the third period in a 4-1 loss in Game 4 Friday night.

"You lose three games the way you did, you've got to be frustrated. If you're not, you don't care," Julien said. "[They're] probably angry at themselves for the way they've played so far. It's again a sign of guys who care and want to win."