When the Boston Bruins traded goaltender Martin Jones to the San Jose Sharks in June of 2015, most people focused on the 2016 first-round pick that the B’s got in return for the young goaltender.
But the Bruins also received a young forward named Sean Kuraly in the trade, and he played the role of hero Friday night in Game 5 of Boston’s first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Ottawa Senators.
Kuraly scored two goals, one in the second period to tie the score 2-2 — also his first career NHL goal — and another in double overtime to seal Boston’s 3-2 win. The Bruins, who entered the game trailing 3-1 in the series, have forced a Game 6 on Sunday.
A closer look at the winning goal shows Kuraly lifted the stick of Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson, making it easier for him to jam the rebound past Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson and into the net.
Kuraly got to play in Games 1 and 2 of the series when Bruins center David Krejci was out with an upper body injury. The veteran forward returned for Games 3 and 4, which resulted in Kuraly being a healthy scratch for both matchups.
Bruins center Ryan Spooner’s ineffectiveness offensively at even strength (zero points in four games) played a role in Kuraly returning to the lineup for Game 5, and it proved to be a season-saving decision by Bruins interim head coach Bruce Cassidy.
Not only did Kuraly provide much-needed offense for a Bruins team desperate for scoring from its bottom-six forwards, he was relentless on the forecheck and made his presence felt with his physical play. His willingness to crash the net also helped the Bruins generate second-chance shots off of rebounds.
Krejci exited Game 5 after a hard knee-on-knee hit in the first period and did not return. Kuraly probably was going to remain in the lineup anyway, but he definitely will slot in Sunday if Krejci is unable to play.
The Bruins have never come back to win a playoff series when down 3-1, but they have another chance to accomplish the feat after Kuraly’s Game 5 heroics.
Thumbnail photo via Marc DesRosiers/USA TODAY Sports Images
