It wasn’t a textbook victory, but the Boston Bruins went on a 15-0 shots run in the 3rd period to overcome an 0-2 deficit and steal a 4-3 win against the Carolina Hurricanes on a night that goaltender Jaroslav Halak was not sharp and the team in front of him had trouble getting anything done around the net in the game’s first 40 minutes.

Here are some quick notes on what we saw and what the B’s will need to do to close out Rod Brind’Amour’s crew on Wednesday in Game 5.

1. Boston won despite a poor performance in net from Halak. He gave up a leaky first goal to Justin Williams that beat him cleanly from the outside and without a screen. Jordan Martinook’s tally in the second period, wasn’t much better- a shot from the outside that an NHL goalie has to stop. The third goal, which happened on a 6-on-5 and admittedly when the Bruins were running around ineffectively, was the first shot of the final frame from Carolina again- was shaky and made the final 39 seconds a white-knuckle nail-biter. Simply put, Halak must be better going forward- that kind of a performance is usually a recipe for disaster, but the B’s pulled it out.
2. Zdeno Chara is a first ballot Hall of Famer, but he’s playing too much- and it’s going to burn the B’s at some point. He simply doesn’t have the footspeed and range to do what we all marveled at when he was in his prime. He’s such a competitor that he’s not going to willingly limit his minutes, so the onus is on Bruce Cassidy and his staff to figure out how to manage his workload effectively. Easier said than done, but has to happen- he’s one of the weaker links in the defense chain, and that’s not a slight on the legacy he owns as one of the all-time greats- it’s just that his best years are well behind him.
3. Cliffy hockey is back! A year after bursting onto the scene in the 2019 playoffs, Connor Clifton did it again as No. 75 jumped up from the point and hammered home the tying goal on a nice rip. He’s the perfect playoff depth defenseman, as he can wheel and plays a robust physical game with the ability to score in timely situations.
4. Jake DeBrusk came through with two goals- the first to get the B’s off the schneid and then the eventual winner on a nice net drive. Streakiness is what we all have to live with, but there is no doubting that he’s one of the purest natural scorers on the team and when he gets it going, the 2015 first-rounder provides important secondary scoring for the team.
5. You just knew that when Brad Marchand got in behind the Carolina defense, he was going to bury it and that he did, going against the grain to slide the puck through the five-hole to take the lead. Big-game play there.
6. Charlie McAvoy’s hit on Jordan Staal showed us another important dimension of Boston’s future workhorse on the back end. We obviously all see the offensive upside McAvoy brings, but that kind of a tone-setting hit that forced the veteran to the locker room was not only clean, but made an immediate impact on the game and started the comeback. It’s like you tell younger players- don’t worry about scoring on every shift- just find a way to make a difference and finish with a net positive on your shifts at the end of the game. That hit was a big positive.
7. David Krejci had it going last night, creating some quality scoring chances including a hit post on a nice feed from rookie Jack Studnicka in the second period. These two started to show some chemistry and an invigorated Krejci is a good sign for Boston, especially with David Pastrnak expected back for Game 5.
8. Speaking of Studnicka- he’s the Joe Juneau ’92 of this year’s postseason run. He’s picking up steam and is sure to get more ice going forward after last night’s performance. 28 years ago, Juneau joined the B’s after the Albertville Olympics and No. 49 became an instant fan favorite for his dazzling offensive prowess. Studnicka plays a different style, but he’s generating a similar buzz as a player who looks like a veteran despite his youth.
9. You have to hand it to Justin Williams– the final pick of the 2000 draft’s first round is Mr. Playoffs and continues to make big plays for his teams in the postseason. Last night’s first goal is indicative of his three Stanley Cup rings (1 with Carolina, 2 with the Kings)- he had a shooting lane and got the puck to the net. He shouldn’t have scored on that shot, but this is why kids should not pass on chances to shoot- Halak whiffed and boom- 1-0 just like that. Carolina needs more from its top youngsters, though- and missing Andrei Svechnikov doesn’t help matters.
10. Deja vu all over again for James Reimer who played a heck of a game for 40 minutes and stymied the Bruins- just like another playoff game way back in 2013. However, when the B’s started that comeback, you just sensed Reimer was thinking about what happened at TD Garden seven years ago, and in less than 7 minutes, his 2-0 lead was a 2-4 deficit.

Keys to victory in Game 5:

1. Shoot often and from anywhere. Whether it’s Reimer or Petr Mrazek in net, the B’s cannot afford to let Carolina catch a glimmer of hope. Hammer pucks to the net, drive the lanes and be relentless…perimeter passing and looking for the perfect shot won’t get it done.
2. Tighten up defensively- the Hurricanes will be looking to push and catch the Bruins D flat-footed, driving wide with speed and getting pucks to the net after Halak’s shaky play. This means the Boston forecheck will be critical in disrupting Carolina’s ability to generate speed through the neutral zone and that the Bruins D will have to gap up and not take chances will ill-timed steps or activate at the wrong times.
3. The Pasta Factor- assuming No. 88 returns to the lineup, Boston might be well served funneling pucks to him especially on the man advantage. He excels in finding quiet ice much like HHOFer Mike Bossy did in his glory years with the Islanders. If Pastrnak can find soft seams in the offensive zone, he should be able to unleash his trademark shot to good effect, even if he’s not quite at 100 percent.
4. Roll with the hot hand. Cassidy does a good job of sensing who is hot and who isn’t and getting matchups in their favor. With Boston back as home team for Game 5, this matchup game will be to the B’s advantage- leave nothing on the table and get after it.