from Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe,

Locked and loaded now for vacation, the Bruins Friday night will try to shake their insidious playoff funk when they return to Ottawa for Game 5. They are down, 3-1, to the Senators, and have yet to recover from a third-period collapse on the road Saturday, when they blew a 3-1 lead and what might have been an iron-clad 2-0 grip on the best-of-seven series.

Much has happened since then, none of it good for the “we’re-looking-for-a-deep-run-in-the-playoffs” Black and Gold.

The Senators have been faster, smarter on both sides of the puck, vastly more consistent, more resilient and, despite their wonkish and methodical 1-3-1 ways in the neutral zone, eminently more entertaining to watch. It is no mistake or writ of numbskulled officiating that they are about to advance to Round 2 of the Stanley Cup grinder, while the Bruins are pointed to the offseason badlands of talk radio persecution.

It helps the Senators, of course, that they have arguably (if anyone cares to argue) the most exciting, game-changing player in the NHL in defenseman Erik Karlsson, who has been brilliant in key moments, and not for his play alone.

continued