Bruins blank Blackhawks to take 2 1 Cup series lead

Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron (37) celebrates with center Tyler Seguin (19) after scoring a goal against the Chicago Blackhawks during the second period in Game 3 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final at TD Garden.(Photo Michael Ivins USA TODAY Sports)

BOSTON The Boston Bruins threw their version of a perfect game to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 2 0 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final Monday night.

Goalie Tuukka Rask made 28 saves. Patrice Bergeron was 24 4 in the face off circle. Defenseman Dennis Seidenberg blocked six shots. Third liner Daniel Paille scored the game winner and created another goal with a strong drive to the net. When the Bruins are at their best it's always a performance starring an ensemble cast.

You see our guys they're back checking having layers so when somebody makes a mistake you have somebody covering up Boston coach Claude Julien said. We're blocking lot of shots. The commitment is totally there.

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This was the seventh consecutive home win for the Bruins who now have a 2 1 lead in the best of seven series that resumes Wednesday in Boston.

I think we try to stay compact in our zone Seidenberg said. Once the puck is bobbled if you see a chance to pressure them we do that. For the most part we've been doing a good job keeping them to the outside. Then there's Tuukka. He always seems to make that save.

Rask posted his third shutout in the past seven games and he has given up one goal or no goals in seven of the past eight games. When the Bruins won the Stanley Cup championship in 2011 goalie Tim Thomas won the Conn Smythe Trophy. If the Bruins win this season Rask is the favorite.

He's been focused since the first game of the playoffs Julien said.

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Boston players viewed Seidenberg as their player of the game. He plays a physical game said captain Zdeno Chara. He's willing to play whatever role we ask him to do and he's a warrior.

Boston's third line of Tyler Seguin Chris Kelly and Paille has suddenly become the team's most effective line. Paille scored the game winning overtime goal in Game 2 and then scored a second period goal in Game 3 set up by Kelly and Seguin. He also made a strong drive to the net that set up a power play goal.

Chicago defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson was forced to pull him down creating a 5 on 3 power play situation. Patrice Bergeron buried a shot past goalie Corey Crawford after Jaromir Jagr threw him a pass across the goal crease just as Chicago's first player was coming out of the penalty box.

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Paille is really moving his feet right now and he has a hot stick said Seguin.

Bergeron won 86% of his draws while Kelly won 73% and Rich Peverley 67%. The Bruins were 40 16 overall on face offs.

Bergy is definitely the most consistent player I've ever seen Seguin said.

Chara had to play the game with stitches in his head after suffering a nasty cut during a collision with Milan Lucic during the pre game skate. Chara's said he lost an edge on his skate and tumbled into Lucic.

Paille only had two goals in the postseason when the Stanley Cup Final started but he has looked like a goal scorer over the past two games. The overtime goal was scored with a strong shot from the slot after a perfect feed from Seguin.

In Game 3 he created his own scoring chance by lifting Dave Bolland's stick to allow him to claim the pass from Kelly. It was a veteran's move and then he whirled and fired the puck past Chicago goalie Corey Crawford.

We have to defend the rush better said Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith

The Blackhawks were 0 for 5 on the power play and now have failed to score on 18 consecutive power play chances.

It was a low chance game and it's a low chance series said Chicago coach Joe Quenneville.

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