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Bolts visit Bruins for crucial Game 5 of East finals

May 23, 2011 - 2:47 PM (Sports Network) - The Boston Bruins will try to bounce back from a frustrating loss tonight when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5 of the deadlocked Eastern Conference finals at TD Garden.

The Bruins held a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series heading into Game 4 in Tampa and Boston looked poised to grab a three-games-to-one edge after jumping out to a 3-0 lead in Saturday's contest. The 3-0 deficit seemed even more daunting considering the Bruins had blanked the Lightning by a 2-0 score in Thursday's Game 3 meeting.

However, Tampa scored three quick goals around the midway point of the second period on Saturday to tie the game and then added two more tallies in the third to take a thrilling 5-3 decision.

Tampa Bay forward Teddy Purcell ignited the comeback with a pair of tallies in a 63-second span during the second period burst, the latter coming at 7:58. Sean Bergenheim tied the game when he outworked Boston defenseman Tomas Kaberle behind the net and fired a quick shot through the legs of Tim Thomas at 10:53.

Simon Gagne supplied the tie-breaking goal just under seven minutes into the third period and Martin St. Louis completed the scoring inside the final minute with an empty-netter to help Tampa even the series at 2-2.

"The reality is it's 0-0 going into Boston, just like we were the first game played there," said Tampa head coach Guy Boucher. "We went in the first game 0-0, and now we're going there again 2-2. So there's no difference in our approach."

Mike Smith stopped all 21 shots he faced in relief of Lightning starting goaltender Dwayne Roloson to record his first career playoff win. Roloson was pulled for the second time in three games after allowing three goals in 18 minutes of action.

Boucher has not said definitively who will be the starter for tonight's tilt, but speculation is that he will return to Roloson.

"We just finished this game now," Boucher after Saturday's game. "We're happy we just beat a terrific team and we're just happy that we were a lot harder to play against today. And Smitty was part of it and Roloson is -- it doesn't change the status."

The 41-year-old Roloson, who was acquired in a January trade with the New York Islanders, has a 2.51 goals-against average and a .925 save in 15 playoff games this spring.

Meanwhile, Boston goaltender Tim Thomas, who was coming off a 31-save shutout in Game 3, stopped 32-of-36 shots on Saturday.

"All the things we had done well the game before and in the first period of tonight was, again, kind of slipped and by the time you kind of get yourself going, a lot of damage is done," said Bruins head coach Claude Julien.

Patrice Bergeron, who returned to the lineup on Thursday after missing two games with a concussion, scored two goals in the loss.

Tampa forward Steve Downie is questionable for tonight's game after suffering a head injury in Saturday's win. Downie provides a physical spark for the Lightning and also has two goals and 10 assists this postseason. Boucher said Downie's status is day-to-day.

Boston is 5-3 as the host in the playoffs after posting a 22-13-6 record at TD Garden during the regular season.

The Lightning, who will host Game 6 on Wednesday, is 6-2 as the visiting team this postseason and was 21-14-6 away from Tampa during the 2010-11 campaign.

The Bruins are in the conference finals for the first time since 1992 and they lost their previous two trips to this stage since last making an appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1990. Tampa wound up winning the franchise's only Stanley Cup title in 2004, when it made its only other trip to the conference finals.