What should Bruins focus on in Game 6 after naming Rask as starter?
Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)  In a perfect world, Tuukka Rask would be perfectly healthy for the Bruins heading into Game 6 against the Islanders on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN). Then again, if things were ideal for the Bruins, the Islanders wouldnt have them on the brink of elimination. However healthy Rask is, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy confirmed him as their Game 6 starter vs. the Islanders. So, along with injecting Jake DeBrusk back into the lineup, the Bruins have Rask settled as their Game 6 starter. Lets consider what they should focus on  which sometimes means what they shouldnt change. Protect Rask, particularly on the PK  You know youve made a memorable comment when someone immediately produces a great T-shirt thanks to your phrasing. Tough to top this in reaction to Bruce Cassidys New York Saints comment regarding calls that went the Islanders way in Game 5.  NEW  SHIRT  ALERT  Whatever you want to call them, the NY Saints have themselves a 3-2 series lead #WearTheMoment Available now: https://t.co/Teak8yRZGu https://t.co/KUB3I5U776 pic.twitter.com/U9BxvmlkMT  BreakingT (@BreakingT) June 8, 2021  What we know is that Cassidys comments cost him $25K. What we dont know is if Cassidy will get his moneys worth in Game 6. Truly, its anecdotal whether beefing about officiating actually affects calls. Rod BrindAmour spoke about the disparity in penalties in the Predators  Hurricanes series, and that gap seemed to close. Either way, the Bruins certainly have incentive to be on the penalty kill less often. That already-obvious thought was even more abundantly clear in Game 5, where the Islanders burned the Bruins for penalties to the tune of a 3-for-4 success rate. Heres what Cassidy said about replacing Rask with Jeremy Swayman during the third period of Game 5. There was some maintenance that needed to be done. He wasnt 100 percent, so we made a decision, Cassidy said, via NBC Sports Boston. Thats a call we had to make between periods. Ill just say he wasnt himself (or) 100 percent. Certainly couldve went back in, but we made a decision not to put him back in.  During a power play, a team can press a goalie who isnt 100-percent. If this affects Rasks lateral movement, theres no better time for the Islanders to exploit the occasional cross-seam pass. For all we know, the Islanders might push Rask the most during cycle opportunities or rushes in Game 6. But, hypothetically, avoiding penalties might be the best way to optimize Rasks situation. (Look, if theres one thing murkier than a goalies injury status during the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs, it might be a coachs financial situation.) Bruins shouldnt let frustration get to them vs. Islanders  From an eye-test perspective, it honestly felt like the Bruins carried much of the play vs. the Islanders in Game 5, especially at 5-on-5. Really, when you look at series numbers and charts, its tough to beat up Boston too much. Take this Corsi comparison for the series from Natural Stat Trick, for instance:  Clearly, the Bruins lost their cool about officiating in Game 5. Or at least Bruce Cassidy did. But overall, the overarching message should be keep doing what youre doing.  Just consider some of the painful near-finishes. To understate things, David Pastrnak is not going to miss on chances like this one from Game 4 very often:  And, as productive as top Bruins were in Game 5, this Brad Marchand chance reminds that they maybe could have produced even more:  All of that said, the Islanders could conceivably lock things down a lot more in Game 6. After all, the Bruins scored the first goal of Game 5, yet the Islanders came back. Now Barry Trotz & Co. could ride the energy of home-ice advantage, and close this series out. People dont always want to accept this, but theres a lot you cannot control during the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Its up to Boston to roll with those punches, and give this their best shot. BRUINS VS. ISLANDERS (NYI leads 3-2)  series livestream link  Game 1: Bruins 5, Islanders 2  Game 2: Islanders 4, Bruins 3 (OT)  Game 3: Bruins 2, Islanders 1 (OT)  Game 4: Islanders 4, Bruins 1  Game 5: Islanders 5, Bruins 4  Game 6: Wed. June 9: Bruins at Islanders, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)  *Game 7: Fri. June 11: Islanders at Bruins, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)